Dry skin can be a blessing, but caring for dry skin that looks dull and flaky or even worse, emphasizes the appearance of your fine lines and wrinkles can be a nightmare.
Dry skincare can become a real bother …
But not caring for dry skin properly will make your skin look dull and flaky. It will emphasize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and the less attention you give it, the worse it will get.
Age and the environment are two main factors that contribute to this skin type.
Over time, the sebaceous glands within your dermis layer slow their production of sebum, the body’s natural moisturizer and dry skins ability to retain moisture also lessens as we grow older.
This is caused by the breakdown of the intra-cellular matrix, the collagen and elastin layer that helps hold skin tissue together. When this layer begins to break apart, it becomes more difficult for skin to hold in moisture and as moisture escapes your skin becomes drier.
Causes of dry skin include :
- Arid climates that are dry and windy.
- Use of harsh soaps and detergents.
- Over-exposure and unprotected exposure to the sun’s damaging rays
All of these can negatively influence skin, but your genes also play a role.
How do You know You have dry skin?
First consider where you live. Windy areas and areas with low humidity cause dryness by stripping skin of its natural oils, but living in areas where winters are very cold can also cause dry skin trouble.
Even if you don’t spend much time outdoors, interior heaters as well as air conditioning units in hot, dry climates can sap the air of moisture and cause dry skin.
Visible indicators of dry skin include skin that flakes easily. Plus, dry skin often looks tight and taut because pore openings are very tiny.
If you don’t yet see these tell-tale signs of dry skin but you’re at or approaching mid-life, it’s time to start looking.
Eczema and Dermatitis – Eczema is known as an inflammatory skin condition.
The condition will cause skin irritation and inflammation. In many cases eczema is found in families with history of allergies and asthma.
Eczema is not contagious and cannot be spread from person to person.
Caring for dry skin …
If you have dry skin, taking proper care of your skin involves retaining as much moisture as possible. One way is to avoid using products containing alcohol because alcohol dehydrates.
Dry skin is a feature of inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis and, in serious cases, your doctor or the dermatologist may choose to treat the condition with a steroid cream that reduces inflammation.
Recommended ingredients for helping take good care of dry skin include: alpha hydroxy, lactic acids, petroleum, lanolin and glycerin. So make sure you take the time to read product labels.
Your skin won’t always feel like it needs to be cleansed, but it does, twice daily, morning and night.
Use a gentle cleanser made especially for skin that’s dry, cleanse using warm, not hot water.
Finish off with a cool rinse. It’s never a good idea to use hot water to clean any type of skin or to soak in a tub because doing so will only strip your skin of its natural oils.
After washing, pat your skin dry using a soft towel. Then apply a light moisturizer. Use one containing Vitamin E.
If you wear make-up choose foundations that contain the moisturizing ingredients mentioned above.
Most fruits and vegetables are important in caring for dry skin
Naturally Caring for Dry Skin means keeping your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water and increasing your consumption of high water content foods such as cucumbers and watermelon.
They are excellent hydrating foods and they are also excellent sources of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
Antioxidants are crucial in helping maintain your dry skins intracellular matrix.
How Dry is Your Skin … Depending on how dry your skin is, it may be best to use a relatively thin moisturising lotion or cream in the summer and switch to a thicker more oily moisturising ointment in the winter. Moisturising shower gels and bath additives that don’t strip your skin of natural oils can be used instead of soap when washing.