Dry skin is a very common problem. It is caused due to lack of
amount of water in the most topmostlayersr of the skin called
the epidermis. But what causes the lack of water?
The reason is twofold. It may be due to External or Internal factors.
External factors that cause dry skin include:
Excessive exposure to dust and pollutants
overuse of sanitizers and lipid solvents (alcohol), harsh hand soap
cold temperature, dry air, low humidity
Centralized heating
Internal factors include
overall health,
age,
genetics,
family history
medical conditions like thyroid diseases are more prone to
developing dry skin.
The key symptoms of dry skin are:
itching
rough, dry, red patches on their skin
Red plaques of eczematous skin
So how do we treat dry skin? Simple changes in your skincare routine and daily routine can sure do the magic!! Below
are some easy tips :
Moisturize:
Well, that’s a no brainer. You ought to keep your skin moisturized. Lotions trap the moisture of your skin and prevent it from drying. One must apply moisturizer right after bath and after hand or face wash.
Bathing
tips for relief from dry skin. Be sure to:
• keep the
bathroom door close, so you get moisturize with the steam of the shower.
• Avoid long
showers. Limit time to 5-10 mins.
• Avoid hot water
shower.
• use a gentle,
fragrance-free cleanser
• Blot your skin
gently dry with a towel
• moisturize
immediately after the shower
Coconut oil:
A moisturizer from nature. Coconut oil is sure the best for you if you have dry skin. Coconut oil contains essential fatty acids which help keep your skin hydrated by protecting it from the environment. Apply it directly or maybe add some coconut in your diet, works like magic!
Post-Swim Routine:
Swimming sure comes in hand when need to relax, but that chlorine isn’t so right for your skin. The best remedy for this is to step into the shower, drain off all that chlorine water off your body. And then moisturize your skin with a thick moisturizer, like vaseline or Aquaphor.
Wear lip balm.
Chapped, cracked or bleeding lip skin isn’t the sexiest thing. People with dry skin often face this. So weal lip balm as much as possible. Choose a lip balm that helps to heal and feels good to you.
Select your
products wisely: In today’s era of marketing, there are millions of cosmetics being
advertised. Few of them true to their words but others are just eh! So be wise to select the ones that are not
too harsh on your skin and suits your skin type. Anything harsh takes away the
essential oils from your skin leaving it all dry and rough. Few lotions you can
trust upon:
Light moisturizing products
Cetaphil lotion
Lubriderm lotion
Curel lotion
Highly
moisturizing products
Vaseline
Aquaphor
Save your Hands:
Hands are often contacted with cleaning agents, grease, chemicals. They have affected formats. But you can take a few simple steps to keep them young:
Always wear gloves while doing cleaning, or using hot water
Avoid using hot water
Keep hands cream available in your purse
Avoid Fragrant soaps
Avoid Skincare products that contain fragrance, alcohol, alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) or retinoids
Fabric and laundry detergent:
Always choose Cotton over synthetic. Cotton is soothing to the skin and helps relieve skin irritation. Even laundry detergent is of importance for that matter. Always choose the ones labeled ‘hypoallergenic’. You can also your use baby detergents.
Humidify your air:
In winters, if you have a heating system constantly running, it can really dry up the air. Adding a humidifier can really make a difference. It adds back the moisture to the air, in turn, adding moisture to your skin.
Shave Smartly:
Shaving is necessary but we girls got to be smart about that! Shaving causes irritation to dry skin and may also steal away the natural oil of your skin. But these few tips can save your skin:
Always shave after a bath. This is because the hair is softer after bath and skin have added moisture to it.
Always use shaving gel or cream.
Shave in the direction of the hair is growing, to less grit ate your hair growth.
Never use a blunt or dull razor.
If reusing a razor, make sure you clean it with rubbing alcohol.
Must change the razor often.
Exfoliate Often:
Exfoliating removes the dead cells accumulated on the skin, and gives a chance to new cells to reveal. Dead skin cells cause the skin to look dull, but these new cells will bring back the charm! So people with dry skin must add exfoliating face scrub to their routine. Exfoliation sometimes causes irritation to people with sensitive skin, so listen to your skin and figure out if exfoliation is for you or not. You can try L’Oréal Paris Pure-Sugar Nourish & Soften Face Scrub, it helps skin look smoother and feel comfortable.
Few Home remedies:
Below are some home remedies that can help treat dry skin:
Oatmeal: A 2015 study found that oatmeal has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, helping treat dry skin. You can use oatmeal in two ways, add it to your bath or use oatmeal-based lotions, creams and ointments. For the bath, just add powdered quick oatmeal or old fashioned oatmeal to the water
Petroleum jelly is the best moisturizer
Aloe Vera: Natural and handy solution to the problem. You can apply aloe vera gel on the dry skin are and cover it. Try to do this before you go to bed, so it stays overnight for best results.
Sunflower seed oil: Sunflower seed oil improves hydration when used as a moisturizer. It was found to improve skin hydration.
These tips should make you feel better sometime. However, if you don’t get any results it might be time to visit a dermatologist. Very dry skin can be better treated with cream or ointment prescribed by doctors. A dermatologist will examine your skin and can help reduce the discomfort.
