Dry and Peeling Skin: Top 7 Causes, Treatment Tips, and Key QA

Have you ever had one of those breakdown moments? You carefully applied a face mask and layered on a rich moisturizer the night before, only to wake up with skin that’s still dry and flaky.

You’ve been diligent with your skincare routine, yet your skin feels tight, itchy, uncomfortable—and makeup just won’t sit right no matter what you do. The truth is, dry and peeling skin is rarely caused by just one factor. It can be influenced by environmental changes, overly aggressive cleansing, or a skincare routine that focuses only on hydration without replenishing oils. Over time, this can weaken the skin’s protective barrier, making it thinner, more fragile, and more prone to dryness.

In this article, we’ll break down the most common causes of dry, flaky skin and share practical tips on how to improve dryness effectively. By adjusting both your daily habits and skincare steps, you can help restore your skin’s balance and build a healthy, hydrated, and radiant complexion.

Many people think that dry skin is just a temporary discomfort or something that only affects how makeup looks and that it will go away if you simply endure it. However, from a dermatological perspective, persistent dry skin is more than a surface issue. It is often a sign of a compromised skin barrier and reduced moisture-retention ability, and it can even accelerate skin aging. If you frequently experience any of the following four symptoms of dry skin, it may indicate that your skin is already under stress and in need of immediate attention.

1. Flaking and Peeling

When the skin lacks both moisture and oil, and the skin barrier becomes compromised, the outer layer of skin weakens and loses cohesion. This often leads to visible flaking and peeling around the cheeks, corners of the mouth, and sides of the nose. If scratching occurs due to itchiness, it can cause redness, broken skin, and even secondary damage, making peeling and irritation even worse.

2. Tightness and Cracking

According to reminders from Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration, if your skin feels tight immediately after cleansing, it may be a sign of over-cleansing. The natural oils on the skin’s surface act as a protective layer that helps lock moisture into the stratum corneum. Once these oils are stripped away too thoroughly, moisture evaporates more easily, leading to dryness, cracking, redness, and itchiness.

3. Itchiness and Red Rashes

When the skin remains dry and depleted of oil and water over a long period of time, its defensive ability weakens. As a result, it becomes more reactive to external irritants, increasing the likelihood of redness and rashes. In more severe cases, this may trigger eczema, atopic dermatitis, or other allergic and inflammatory skin conditions. If this occurs frequently, seeking early evaluation from a dermatologist is strongly recommended.

4. Rough Texture and Dull Appearance

If your skin feels rough to the touch, has a grainy texture, or appears dull and yellowish with a lack of radiance—especially when fine lines around the eyes or nasolabial folds become more noticeable, it is a sign that the skin is excessively dry. This indicates that dead skin cells are not shedding properly, leading to a buildup on the surface.

In reality, many people underestimate the seriousness of dry skin. When the skin lacks sufficient moisture and lipids over time, damage to the hydrolipid film and skin barrier can occur. This accelerates what is known as “dry aging,” where fine expression lines turn into permanent wrinkles, skin elasticity decreases, and sagging becomes more pronounced. Therefore, dryness, flaking, roughness, and dullness are not minor issues, they are important warning signs of premature skin aging that require proactive care.

Knowing that your skin is “very dry” isn’t enough. The real key is understanding why it’s happening. Many people are actually exposed to several of the following causes at the same time without realizing it. Below are the 7 most common reasons behind dry and flaky skin: 

1. Environmental Factors

The skin is the body’s first line of defense against the external environment, making it especially vulnerable to environmental changes. During colder months, lower temperatures reduce sebum production. Prolonged exposure to air-conditioned environments with low humidity accelerates moisture loss from the skin. Seasonal transitions, with sudden changes in temperature and humidity, can also overwhelm the skin’s ability to adapt, leading to itchiness, redness, flaking, and sensitivity. For individuals who spend long hours in air-conditioned offices and lack consistent habits of replenishing moisture and oils, environmental factors are often one of the primary causes of dry, peeling skin.

2. Over-Cleansing

Many people confuse “cleansing thoroughly” with “over-cleansing,” but in reality, the skin’s hydrolipid film is meant to be there—and it plays a crucial role in locking in moisture. Frequent cleansing or using products with overly strong cleansing power can strip away this protective layer. Without sufficient oil to retain moisture, the skin becomes unable to hold water, leading to dryness, tightness, flaking, and itchiness.

3. Improper Skincare 

With so many skincare options available today, many people are introduced to exfoliating acids, retinoids, and various aesthetic treatments—such as laser procedures, chemical peels, or resurfacing—at a relatively early stage. These treatments are designed to accelerate skin renewal, fade pigmentation, and address signs of aging. However, when used too frequently, at concentrations beyond what the skin can tolerate, or without adequate post-treatment and daily hydration and lipid replenishment, they can thin the stratum corneum and reduce sebum production. As a result, the skin may appear less oily than before, but it actually becomes more fragile overall. The skin can turn thin, dry, and highly sensitive, sometimes even experiencing stinging or discomfort with the application of basic skincare products.

4. Insufficient Water Intake

Experts indicate that the normal moisture content of the stratum corneum ranges from approximately 20% to 35%. When it drops below 10%, the skin can become dry, cracked, flaky, rough, and dull. If the body does not receive enough water internally, it cannot adequately supply moisture to the skin’s surface, naturally leading to dryness, fine lines, and overall discomfort.

5. Skin Conditions

Certain skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, can cause persistent dryness, redness, itching, and scaling. In these cases, skincare products alone are often not sufficient. Proper evaluation and treatment by a dermatologist are recommended to effectively manage the condition.

6. Age and Hormonal Changes

After the age of 25, sebum production gradually decreases, causing the skin’s natural oil barrier to become thinner and its moisture-retention ability to decline. At the same time, the loss of collagen weakens the skin’s supportive structure, further reducing its ability to hold moisture. For women in particular, a decrease in hormones (especially estrogen) can lead to reduced collagen synthesis, making dryness, sagging, and fine lines more noticeable. Therefore, if you continue a skincare routine that focuses only on hydration without replenishing oils, you may easily enter an accelerated phase of “dry aging.”

7. Poor Lifestyle Habits

Unhealthy habits such as staying up late, smoking, chronic stress, frequent consumption of sugary or fried foods, and irregular meals do not only affect overall health—they also impair skin metabolism and reduce the skin’s ability to repair itself. As a result, the skin becomes more prone to dryness, itchiness, and flaking.

So how can you effectively improve dry skin? In fact, by paying attention to seven key steps—enhancing daily hydration, maintaining a balanced diet and regular sleep, avoiding over-cleansing, controlling bath water temperature and duration, using gentle cleansers, applying proper sun protection, and drinking enough water—you can help your skin stay healthy, stable, and radiant. Below, we’ll go through each step in detail to help you build the right habits. 

Enhance Daily Hydration

In fact, moisturizing can be divided into two key steps. The first is hydration—using water-binding ingredients such as hyaluronic acid to help the stratum corneum attract and hold moisture. The second is lipid replenishment—supplying oils that form a protective layer on the skin’s surface to reduce water loss and repair the skin’s natural lipid barrier. If you focus only on hydration without replenishing oil, the moisture is like water poured into a cracked bucket—it quickly escapes. This is especially true as we age, since natural oil production gradually declines over time. For this reason, appropriately replenishing “good oils” becomes essential.

Among the many types of oils, facial oils containing squalane are particularly recommended. Research shows that human sebum naturally contains about 12–20% squalene, making squalane the only skincare oil that closely mimics the skin’s own lipid composition. Because of this, it has excellent skin affinity, absorbs quickly, and does not feel heavy or clog pores. It helps stabilize the skin condition, repair the lipid barrier, and enhance the effectiveness of subsequent skincare steps.

For those who experience dryness, flaking, or makeup that tends to cake or settle into dry patches, adding a squalane nourishing and repairing facial oil to the daily skincare routine helps restore the “missing oil” the skin needs. This allows the skin not only to absorb moisture, but also to retain it—resulting in healthier, smoother, and more resilient skin.

Balanced Diet and Regular Daily Routine

No matter how effective skincare products are, they cannot make up for staying up late every night or relying on fried, salty, and greasy foods. In addition to eating more whole, unprocessed foods and maintaining a balanced intake of vegetables and high-quality protein, going to bed at a consistent time each day and reducing late nights and long-term stress can significantly support skin repair and renewal.

Avoid Over-Cleansing

One of the key steps in improving dry skin is adjusting cleansing habits so they are “just right,” without stripping away the skin’s natural oils. Limit facial cleansing to no more than twice a day, choose gentle, low-irritation makeup removers and cleansers, and pair them with effective moisturizing care to maintain hydrated, healthy-looking skin.

Control Shower Water Temperature and Duration

Taking a hot shower in winter can feel very comforting, but even in cold weather, it’s best not to stay in hot water for too long. Excessively hot water can actually make the skin drier. It is recommended to keep the water temperature at around 38°C and limit shower time to avoid excessive removal of the skin’s natural oils.

Use a Gentle Facial Cleanser

Cleansing is the foundation of every skincare routine. If your skin often feels tight after washing, or if you have long struggled with dryness, sensitivity, or a weakened skin barrier, a gentle cleansing mousse containing moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid is especially suitable. Its fine, soft foam helps reduce friction and pulling during cleansing, while hyaluronic acid helps the skin retain an appropriate amount of natural oils and moisture—allowing subsequent skincare products to absorb more effectively.

For example, DR.WU HYALUCMPLX HYDRATING CLEANSING MOUSSE features a sixth-generation hyaluronic acid formula that provides multi-level skin care, including moisture locking, hydration, water attraction, activation, and infusion. Combined with ceramides and vitamins B3 and B5, it helps keep the skin soft and well-hydrated after cleansing. As a doctor-developed brand, DR.WU also takes Taiwan’s climate and the needs of sensitive skin into careful consideration when formulating its products. If you are looking for a daily facial cleanser that is safe and suitable for both dry and sensitive skin, this is definitely a product worth adding to your list.

Use Sunscreen Consistently

Ultraviolet (UV) rays do more than cause tanning, it also damage the skin’s surface barrier and accelerate moisture loss, leading to dryness and premature aging. Therefore, if you want to improve dryness and flaking, it’s not enough to focus only on nighttime moisturizing. Proper sun protection during the day is just as important. Whether it is cloudy or you are spending most of your time indoors, applying sunscreen should always be an essential step in your daily skincare routine.

Drink Enough Water

Finally, a reminder of a point that may sound familiar but is truly important: make sure you drink enough water. The Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends that adults consume 6–8 glasses of water per day (about 240 ml per glass). If plain water feels difficult to drink, you can add lemon slices, fresh fruit slices, or tea leaves to enhance the flavor. Only when the body is properly hydrated and circulation functions well does the skin have the foundation it needs to become plump, hydrated, and healthy-looking.

When dealing with skin concerns such as dryness, makeup caking, and tightness, you may have many questions: Where does the problem really come from? How much moisturizing is actually enough? And how should skincare routines be adjusted for different skin types? The following Q&A section addresses these common concerns all at once, helping you quickly find the right direction for more effective skincare.

Q1: Is Makeup Caking Caused by Dryness or Oiliness?

Is makeup caking a result of skin being too dry or too oily? In fact, both are possible, but what many people overlook is caking caused by dryness. When the skin is dry, foundation does not adhere well and tends to flake or peel, creating a caked or patchy appearance. Therefore, the fundamental solution to improving caking is restoring a healthy balance between water and oil in the skin and increasing overall hydration through daily skincare.

Q2: What Should You Apply for Dry Skin?

If you already use hydrating sheet masks, apply high-moisture serums, and even mask before makeup, yet your foundation still flakes or clumps, the issue may lie in the formulation compatibility. Many highly hydrating products contain large-molecule, gel-like ingredients that may not work well with the ingredients or texture of your foundation. When layered together, they can “fight” each other on the skin, leading to pilling or flaking.

In this case, try using squalane, an oil that closely resembles the skin’s natural lipids, as a pre-makeup moisturizing step. Squalane has a lightweight texture and good spreadability, so it is less likely to sit heavily on the surface like rich creams. It is also compatible with most base makeup formulas, helping foundation adhere more smoothly. For a more advanced technique, you can mix a small amount of SQUALANEX INTENSIVE REPAIRING OIL SERUM nourishing and repairing facial oil directly into your foundation to create a more seamless finish with a natural, healthy glow.

Q3: How to Determine Your Skin Is Moisturized or Not?

To determine whether your moisturizing routine is sufficient, pay attention to the following signs: Within 1–2 hours after skincare, does your face start to feel tight again? When applying makeup, does foundation easily settle into fine lines, the corners of the mouth, or around the nose? By the afternoon, does your skin look soft and radiant, or does it appear dry and dull?

If your skin quickly feels tight, stinging, or rough not long after finishing your routine, it usually means your current moisturizing care is not enough—or that earlier steps, such as cleansing or showering with water that is too hot, may already be drying out your skin. In this case, it’s a good idea to review your cleansing habits and moisturizing products and choose options that are better suited to your skin’s needs.

Q4: Do Oily Skin Types Need Moisturizing?

Do people with oily skin really need to moisturize? The answer is absolutely yes. Having oily skin simply means higher oil production—it does not necessarily mean that the stratum corneum has sufficient water content or that the skin barrier is fully healthy.

In fact, many oily skin types are actually “oily on the surface but dehydrated underneath.” The skin appears shiny, yet lacks water within the outer layer, which can cause oil production to become even more unbalanced. For this reason, oily skin should focus on moisturizing with lightweight, fast-absorbing, non-greasy oils. For example, DR.WU  SQUALANEX INTENSIVE REPAIRING OIL SERUM is designed specifically for those who want to replenish oil without a heavy or sticky feeling. Its lightweight texture, smooth spreadability, non-comedogenic properties, and breathable finish make it safe and comfortable for oily skin to use with confidence.

Q5: How to Identify Dehydrated Skin

Dehydrated skin may present with symptoms such as dryness, itchiness, peeling, or more pronounced fine lines. It can also appear dull, yellowish, and exhibit enlarged pores. In addition to lacking radiance, makeup may not adhere well and can appear uneven. Signs such as noticeable tightness after cleansing or exposure to air conditioning, or a stinging sensation when applying skincare products, indicate that the skin is in need of both hydration and nourishment.

Q6: How to Achieve Rapid Hydration

In addition to moisturizing masks, the “oil layering” method has gained recognition among experts in recent years. This technique uses facial oils as an “enhanced hydration” step in the skincare routine, employing multiple layers of oil to help prevent water loss.

A common practice is to mix the facial oil into foundation, giving makeup a more refined texture; or to combine the oil with creams or lotions during the evening skincare routine to increase nourishment; alternatively, it can be used in conjunction with sheet masks or warm steam treatments. The key is to choose oils that are lightweight, skin-friendly, and highly compatible with the skin. Ingredients such as squalane, which is structurally similar to the skin’s sebum, are particularly suitable for the oil layering method, as they are less likely to cause congestion and are less prone to comedone formation, providing a noticeable deep hydration effect.

When the skin is dry, simply "hydrating" is not enough—the key lies in "replenishing oils." When the skin is chronically low in moisture and the lipid barrier is thin, merely adding water may provide temporary relief, but it quickly evaporates. To truly and sustainably improve issues like dryness and flaking, it is essential to restore the missing lipids, rebuild the skin’s protective barrier, and enhance its moisture-retention capacity.

Among the many oil-based skincare ingredients, squalane stands out as a top choice for facial serums. This is because it shares the same origin as the human skin’s sebum, making it extremely skin-friendly. It doesn’t feel heavy or greasy and is unlikely to clog pores. Its lightweight texture and high spreadability allow it to be absorbed quickly, providing both nourishment and support for the skin’s barrier repair. It is particularly gentle and suitable for dry and sensitive skin.

DR.WU SQUALANEX INTENSIVE REPAIRING OIL SERUM focuses on intense hydration and barrier repair. Its ultra-light texture quickly relieves dryness and boosts softness during the “golden moisturizing period” after cleansing. It’s ideal for those trying facial oils for the first time or for skin that has long-term dryness and roughness and needs concentrated nourishment and hydration. On the other hand, DR.WU SQUALANEX ROSEHIP REVITALIZING OIL SERUM contains organic rosehip oil and various plant extracts. In addition to hydration, it emphasizes elasticity and revitalization. It’s suited for those who have already used basic squalane oil and want to improve skin firmness or are looking for more noticeable “anti-aging” effects.

With 15 versatile ways to use facial oils, your skincare routine can be tailored to meet specific skin needs. By adjusting application according to your skin’s condition and habits, you can simultaneously support hydration, nourishment, barrier repair, and elasticity. Oils can be used as the final step to “lock in” moisture, mixed with lotions to improve spreadability, paired with makeup to prevent dryness or patchiness, or applied to delicate areas such as elbows and knees during dry seasons. They can also be used for lip and hair care, or as part of massage and wet compress routines, providing exceptional multifunctional benefits.

For those experiencing dryness, flaking, or makeup settling unevenly, integrating oils offers an opportunity to move from simple hydration to a dual-layer approach of hydration plus nourishment. Properly supplementing your skin with essential oils can significantly enhance skin barrier function and overall radiance, helping you maintain a consistently smooth, supple, and well-hydrated complexion.

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