Blame the weather, the radiator, or even your own routine: Factors you can’t control (and some you can) all conspire to steal suppleness. From dry heat to dietary habits, the list of culprits is longer than you think. All leave your complexion craving more support.
Fortunately, there are simple solutions right at your fingertips. We asked Michael Krathen, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Natick, Massachusetts, and Chief Medical Advisor for Cottonball, to explain what causes a rough texture and how to get your skin back to soft and glowing.
What exactly is rough skin?
A sandpaper feel signals that your skin is dry, but lack of moisture is not the sole cause of rough skin. There’s also a deeper textural shift going on.
“Rough skin happens when keratin, the skin’s main structural protein, builds up instead of shedding properly,” says Dr. Krathen. Normally, skin cells turn over about every 28 to 40 days to allow fresh new cells to rise to the surface.
But this process slows down as we age as well as when we’re in dry, cold weather. When that happens, the dead cells pile up and can stick to skin's surface, making it look dull and feel coarse.
Long-term disruption of the regular skin-shedding process can result in a skin condition. The most common are keratosis pilaris (characterized by small red bumps on the arms, thighs, or cheeks) or psoriasis (an autoimmune disorder that causes red, scaly patches of skin, typically on the elbows, knees, trunk, and scalp).
But anyone can, and typically will, experience periods of rough skin at some point in their life.
Why does skin become rough?
We know what cold, arid weather does to our skin. In those cases, roughness is just a temporary side effect of not living in Aruba.
But as we get older, rough skin can become a more persistent issue. Starting in the 40s, the main cells in skin, keratinocytes, don’t migrate to the surface as plump and hydrated as they once did. Rather, they begin to shrink and flatten like “a shriveled raisin,” says Dr. Krathen. (It's a visual, for sure.)
Also starting in our 40s, our skin’s lipid barrier—a protective outer layer responsible for holding in moisture—begins to break down, and continues doing so over time. This results in increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Or in layperson's terms, moisture evaporates more easily from your skin, leaving it drier, rougher, and less resilient to the elements.
While there’s no magic wand to stop time, a few simple strategies can help strengthen the skin barrier, speed up skin cell turnover, and restore softness at any age.
Rough-Skin Fix #1: Adjust your facial cleansing routine
One of the most common contributors to rough skin: over-cleansing. “Most people are cleansing too harshly,” says Dr. Krathen. Doing so strips the skin barrier of its natural oils and disturbs its balance of bacteria, known as the microbiome, making skin more prone to dryness. Unless your complexion is very oily, you don’t need a heavy-duty cleanser.
Instead, look for a pH-neutral or slightly acidic face wash. Skin’s natural pH is, on average, 4.7, so ideally, your cleanser’s pH should be between 4.5 and 7. If the cleanser’s pH is not listed, you can pick up pH testing strips at most drugstores to quickly find out.
And always wash your face with tepid water. Never use hot, which can deplete skin’s natural oils and worsen roughness.
Rough-Skin Fix #2: Strengthen your skin barrier
The outermost layer of skin, known as the barrier, is composed of cells, lipids, proteins, and ceramides. Together, they form a protective shield that holds moisture in and blocks irritants from entering. In other words, they're like your skin's bodyguard.
When the barrier is compromised due to harsh skincare products or climate, moisture escapes, skin is more vulnerable to the elements, and roughness ensues.
To help reinforce your skin barrier, apply a moisturizer that’s rich in ceramides or lipids. (To tell if a product contains a lipid, check the label for the word "oil" or "triglyceride.")
At night, let your face cream sink in for a couple of minutes, then pat on a facial oil or serum. Keep in mind, oils on their own do not moisturize. They ensure moisture isn't lost. Layering a cream and oil ensures all that good nourishment can work while you sleep.
Rough-Skin Fix #3: Add retinoids to your regimen
Skin’s cell renewal starts slowing down as early as the 30s and continues getting more sluggish over the years. As a result, dead cells can pile up on the surface of skin, leading to roughness and dullness.
Prescription-strength retinoids such as tretinoin are among the best ingredients to stimulate skin cell turnover, according to Dr. Krathen. By encouraging fresh, plump keratinocytes to reach the surface of your skin, retinoids help combat sallowness and fine lines while smoothing and refining skin’s texture.
Learn more about how your skin changes in your 30s, 40s, and 50s.
Cottonball VX.1 Advanced Anti-Aging & Repair Complex, VX.2 Wrinkle-Smoothing & Prevention Complex, and VX.6 Precision Neck-Sculpting Complex each deliver a custom dose of prescription-strength tretinoin that’s targeted to your skin’s specific needs.
Rough-Skin Fix #4: Choose the right exfoliant
Regularly sloughing off dead skin cells is key to preventing rough skin. If you’re already using a retinoid product, you don’t typically need a separate exfoliant, since retinoids promote skin cell turnover.
But if you’re not using retinoids, Dr. Krathen recommends an at-home peel or exfoliating treatment a couple times a week. You want one that contains keratolytic agents such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, or urea. (Incidentally, retinoids are also keratolytic agents.)
These ingredients work chemically to break up excess keratin and promote skin cell turnover without being too aggressive on the skin. Physical scrubs can often be too abrasive. In fact, many dermatologists avoid manual scrubs entirely, especially when the scrubbing particles are made of particles with jagged edges, like walnut shells.
Rough-Skin Fix #5: Consider topical estriol for post-menopausal skin
For those experiencing age-related skin thinning and roughness, estriol (a form of estrogen) in skincare can make a big difference. “Topical estriol has been shown to have the clinical effect of plumping the skin,” says Dr. Krathen.
Unlike traditional moisturizers, which simply prevent water loss, estriol has been shown to enhance skin’s thickness, firmness, and bounce, increase skin’s moisture, and reduce wrinkles and the appearance of pores. Cottonball VX.3 Hormone Renewal Complex contains estriol and is an ideal option for post-menopausal skin.
RAISE YOUR INGREDIENT IQ: Everything You Need to Know About Estriol
Rough-Skin Fix #6: Explore topical rapamycin for anti-aging benefits
Rapamycin, originally developed as an immunosuppressant drug, is garnering attention in the field of longevity for its potential to not just slow cellular aging throughout the body, but possibly reverse it. (Step up your rapamycin game.)
As a skincare ingredient, rapamycin is showing promise for its ability to clear out old, dying cells (known as senescent cells, or “zombie cells”) and optimize the high-functioning ones. This enables those top performers to produce healthy collagen and elastin like they did in their youthful prime.
Dr. Krathen cites a study in which participants’ skin showed significant improvement in visible photoaging—including fewer wrinkles, less sagging, increased volume, and brighter and more even skin tone—after eight months of consistently applying rapamycin. “The study found that topical rapamycin reduced biomarkers of aging in the skin,” he says.
Topical rapamycin, which is currently available only by prescription, is a key ingredient in the Cottonball VX.1 Advanced Anti-aging & Repair Complex, which harnesses the molecule’s potential to support skin longevity.
Rough-Skin Fix #7: Slather the sunscreen
Chronic sun exposure accelerates skin roughness by mutating keratinocytes (the main type of cell found in the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis) and breaking down collagen. To prevent dry, leathery skin—and more serious issues like actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin condition—smooth a broad-spectrum, SPF 30+ moisturizer or sunscreen on your face, neck, and exposed chest skin every day, year round. Yes, even in the winter.
Rough-Skin Fix #8: Hydrate and nourish from within
What you put on your face matters, but so does what you put in your body. While drinking tons of water doesn’t directly translate to softer, plumper skin, there is some evidence to suggest that drinking more than one liter of water per day may help improve skin barrier function. And a healthy barrier will be better at holding moisture in the skin.
It’s also a good idea to eat plenty of omega-3-rich foods like salmon and walnuts, which can enhance your body’s lipid production and help regulate skin’s oil production and hydration levels. Omega-3 deficiency is linked to rough, scaly skin, so you may as well load up on these healthy fats.
While aging may slow down your skin’s renewal process, a combination of gentle cleansing, barrier repair, targeted exfoliation, and cutting-edge ingredients like estriol and rapamycin can help restore smoothness.
Be patient, though. Improved cell turnover doesn’t happen overnight. But with the right approach, your skin will be softer and smoother for years to come.
Is a Cottonball personalized formula right for you? Take this short quiz now to find out.
Remember the décolletage of your youth? Get it back—with one Rx cream made just for you.
