Best Skincare for Dry, Dull Skin on a GLP-1

Dull, dry skin on a GLP-1 usually starts with water. Women on these medications tend to eat and drink less, and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea can pull out even more fluid. That leaves skin tight, flaky and flat-looking. Start with more fluids, a thick moisturizer with hyaluronic acid on damp skin and daily sunscreen. Then add a retinoid such as tretinoin at night for dullness and texture. Creams sold for GLP-1 users use the same ingredients as everyday anti-aging creams, and no cream can replace fat your face has lost.

Why does my skin get so dry and dull on a GLP-1?

GLP-1s curb your appetite, and when you eat less you often drink less too. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea add to the fluid you lose. According to WebMD's guide to skin care on a GLP-1, dehydrated skin looks and feels dry, wrinkled and less elastic.

Rapid weight loss can also affect your sebaceous glands. These are the tiny glands in your hair follicles that release sebum, the oil that keeps skin soft. When they slow down, your skin can dry out further.

One woman on r/Zepbound described having regular diarrhea and wrote: "I love what this medication has done for me and my relationship with food but sometimes these side effects are draining".

You are not imagining the change in your skin. In an anonymous survey of 1,226 people on prescription weight-loss treatment through a telemedicine service, most of them women, over 60% reported concerns such as worse skin quality, loose skin, facial volume loss and hair shedding. People who lost more weight reported these concerns more often.

What skincare routine helps dry, dull skin on a GLP-1?

1. Drink first. Sip liquids through the day even when you are not thirsty. WebMD suggests usually around 8 cups or more. Water-rich foods such as cucumber, watermelon, celery and soup count too.
2. Seal the water in. Keep showers to 5 to 10 minutes in warm water and pat your skin dry. Put on a thick moisturizer while your skin is still damp.
3. Choose a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is an ingredient that helps skin hold on to water. In a double-blind study of 70 women aged 25 to 65, the women used an SPF 30 lotion once a day. It combined several sizes of HA with antioxidants, and their dryness, roughness and fine lines improved from week 2. Over eight weeks, it improved those signs more than an SPF 30 lotion with one size of HA plus ceramides. A review of six studies found that HA applied to the skin improved wrinkles, hydration and elasticity in sun-aged facial skin.
4. Wear sunscreen every day. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays, SPF 15 or higher. Reapply it every couple of hours when you are in the sun. WebMD notes that daily sunscreen helps prevent some signs of aging.
5. Add a retinoid at night for dullness and rough texture. Products with retinoids can encourage collagen production, and retinol helps shed old skin cells, according to WebMD. Dermatologist Jessica Weiser told Oprah Daily that retinoids are still the best topicals for stimulating collagen. She added that they mainly help fine lines and texture near the surface. Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid.

Are GLP-1 skincare creams worth the money?

Creams sold for GLP-1 users rely on the same ingredients you would use for ordinary signs of aging, Oprah Daily reports. In its roundup, prices ran from $34 for La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 at Amazon to $300 for Dr. Few DermaReverse. Image Skincare Vol.U.Lift was $134, and SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Ultra was $185.

Vol.U.Lift has one published study. Twenty-nine adults finished it. Their average age was 49, 31 of the 33 people who enrolled were women, and most were on GLP-1 medications. They used the cream twice a day for 12 weeks. Skin hydration rose about 21% by week 2. By week 12, wrinkle severity had dropped 20.7% and firmness had risen 22.5%. On ultrasound, the thickness of the skin and the fat layer under it had risen 20.1%. No one had side effects from the cream.

That study measured each person against her own starting point, and it was small. It tells you the cream helped those 29 people. It does not show that the cream works better than an ordinary HA moisturizer.

No cream rebuilds a hollow face. Dr. Weiser told Oprah Daily that skincare cannot replace lost fat or get rid of sagging. She said only in-office injectables or fat grafting can rebuild facial volume.

Which skincare fits my skin on a GLP-1?

When should I tell my clinical team about my skin?

If diarrhea or vomiting keeps going, tell your clinical team now. Your skin is the least of it. The Zepbound (tirzepatide) label reports cases of acute kidney injury, some of which needed dialysis. Most of these happened in people who became dehydrated from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

If your skin is already dry, say so before you start a retinoid. Retinoids can be hard for some skin to tolerate. That is part of why gentler ingredients such as bakuchiol are in demand. Your clinical team can take your dryness into account when they choose your treatment.

Keep eating protein and nutrient-dense food even when you are not hungry. WebMD recommends a well-rounded diet with plenty of protein while you are on a GLP-1.

Our clinical team can prescribe tretinoin or GHK-Cu copper peptide if either one fits your goal. They can look at your skin and your weight plan together.

You want to lose the weight and keep your skin looking good while you do it. Take the quiz to start a plan with our clinical team. They will review your GLP-1 and your skin together and tell you whether tretinoin or copper peptide fits.