**Santa Fe Soaps: Altitude Lies Drying Laser Savings?**
By Franklin Everett ShawThe desert air here in Santa Fe isn’t just dry; it’s a relentless, skin-sucking vacuum. We Southwesterners know the feeling: that tight, itchy sensation that no amount of water seems to quench. Forget shimmering reflections; we’re talking cracked earth on your face.
This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about comfort and preventing more serious skin issues. So, let’s ditch the generic lotion aisle and dive into a local solution: Santa Fe Soaps. But can a bar of soap really combat this arid climate, or is it just another pretty-smelling tourist trap?
Santa Fe Soaps, found in shops around the Plaza and even in Albuquerque’s Old Town, boasts natural ingredients. Let’s analyze a popular one: the Lavender Oatmeal soap. The ingredient list includes olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, lavender essential oil, and ground oatmeal.
Olive oil is an emollient, meaning it helps soften and smooth the skin. Coconut oil is a good cleanser, but can be comedogenic (pore-clogging) for some. Shea butter is a fantastic moisturizer, rich in fatty acids. Lavender essential oil offers a calming scent, but can be irritating to sensitive skin. Oatmeal is an excellent exfoliant and soothes irritated skin.
So, on paper, it looks promising. But here’s the catch: soap, by its very nature, is designed to remove oil and dirt. Even with moisturizing ingredients, the cleansing process can strip away natural oils, leaving your skin drier than before.
The key is understanding saponification. This is the chemical reaction that turns oils into soap. It involves lye (sodium hydroxide), which is highly alkaline. While the lye is neutralized in the process, the resulting soap still has a pH higher than your skin’s natural pH (around 5.5). This disrupts the skin’s acid mantle, which is crucial for retaining moisture.
Therefore, relying solely on Santa Fe Soaps, or any soap for that matter, to hydrate your skin in this climate is a losing battle. It’s like trying to fill a leaky bucket. You need to plug the holes.
Enter the “lizard-lotioning” technique. I coined this term because, like lizards basking in the sun, we need to strategically apply moisture to survive. This involves layering hydrating products immediately after showering or washing your hands, while your skin is still damp.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Gentle Cleansing: Use your Santa Fe Soap (or another gentle, natural soap) sparingly. Focus on areas that need cleansing, like underarms and groin. Avoid over-washing.
Immediate Hydration: Pat your skin mostly dry, leaving it slightly damp.
Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Apply a hyaluronic acid serum. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air into your skin. In a dry climate, it needs help.
Occlusive Moisturizer: Immediately follow with an occlusive moisturizer. This creates a barrier to prevent water loss. Look for ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, or even a thin layer of Vaseline (yes, really!).
Repeat Throughout the Day: Reapply moisturizer to your hands and face several times a day, especially after washing.
Let’s talk about specific product recommendations. For hyaluronic acid, The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is a budget-friendly option. For an occlusive moisturizer, consider CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or Vanicream Moisturizing Cream. Both are fragrance-free and non-comedogenic.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: expensive laser treatments promising hydration. These treatments, like Fraxel or Clear + Brilliant, create micro-injuries in the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve hydration.
While they can be effective, they’re also costly and require multiple sessions. Furthermore, they don’t address the underlying issue of environmental dryness. You’ll still need to “lizard-lotion” even after laser treatments.
The challenge with laser treatments in Santa Fe and Albuquerque is the intense sun exposure. Post-treatment skin is highly sensitive to UV damage, increasing the risk of hyperpigmentation. Strict sun protection is crucial, which adds another layer of complexity (and cost).
A common mistake developers make when formulating skincare for dry climates is focusing solely on emollients (like oils) without considering humectants (like hyaluronic acid). Emollients soften the skin, but they don’t necessarily draw in moisture.
Another pitfall is using harsh cleansers that strip the skin’s natural oils. This creates a vicious cycle of dryness and irritation.
To overcome these challenges, focus on a multi-pronged approach: gentle cleansing, immediate hydration with humectants, and sealing in moisture with occlusives. Think of it as building a moisture fortress around your skin.
Consider this scenario: You’re a local artist in Albuquerque, working with clay all day. Your hands are constantly exposed to dry air and abrasive materials. Simply using Santa Fe Soap won’t cut it. You need a robust “lizard-lotioning” routine to protect your skin.
Another example: You’re a ski instructor in Taos. The high altitude and cold wind are a double whammy for your skin. You need to apply a thick layer of moisturizer with SPF before hitting the slopes, and reapply throughout the day.
Ultimately, combating dry skin in the Southwest requires a proactive and personalized approach. Santa Fe Soaps can be a part of your routine, but they’re not a standalone solution. Embrace the “lizard-lotioning” technique, experiment with different products, and find what works best for your unique skin. Your skin (and your wallet) will thank you.