How to Get Rid Of Dry Skin?

Do you cancel out plans because your skin is extremely dried out? Your flakes and cracks have become so obvious that you probably do not feel anything for your skin again.

Dry skin is a skin condition that is caused a result of a lack of moisture on the outermost layer of the skin. A reason for your flakes, cracks, itches, and wrinkles.

It can be treated and you can finally be rid of it for good. This article will let you in on the secrets to treating your dry skin.

Let’s dive in!

What Causes Dry Skin?

Dry skin affects almost everybody regardless of age. It is primarily caused by a result of lack of moisture on the superficial part of the skin. The outermost part of the skin is generally dead but composed of natural body oils. However, when there is no enough moisture on the skin, the body loses the natural oils leading to dry skin condition

The crux of this issue might make you wonder “why the lack of moisture”. The lack of moisture content on the skin could be a result of external factors or internal factors. External factors causing drying skin include:

Environmental Influence

Come to think of it, when there is a drop in humidity, cold temperatures accompanied by dry air can hurt your skin and this can lead to a dry skin condition

Skincare Routine

Your skincare routine could also lead to dry skin. If you spend prolonged hours bathing, you are more prone to developing dry skin. After prolonged bathing, your skin would feel so tight because you have stripped your skin of its natural oil and water. Likewise, the use of harsh soaps can also be the cause of dry skin. The use of harsh soaps increases the chance of losing so much natural oil and moisture. Continue usage of such soaps can lead to dry skin.

Furthermore, dry skin can also be caused by internal factors which are not easily addressed. For instances

Genetics and Age

Dry skin can occur in people of all ages and also it can be hereditary. You are at risk of having dry skin if any of your parents have a history of dry skin. Also, older people have reduced natural oil on their skin which makes them more prone to dry skin condition

Health

Dry skin itself can be a symptom of underlying ailments. People with ailments such as atopic dermatitis, thyroid diseases, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, and so on are at risk of having dry skin.

Medicine

When taking medicine to treat certain diseases can also cause dry skin. Examples of such include acne drugs, high level of cholesterol, allergies to certain drugs and treatments

Nutrition

When you are malnourished, there is a high tendency of having dry skin.

Since you know some of the causes of your dry skin now, there is a need for you to know the signs and symptoms associated with it to give you a lead on how to treat it. Find out more in the next section!

What Are the Signs And Symptoms of Dry Skin?

There are ways you can know that you have dry skin. When you know such signs and symptoms then you can know the proper way of treating them. Dry skin is often accompanied by itching which is the main symptom. The cracks, patches, and flakes that are normally seen on dry skin do feel itchy.

Itching can be restricted to a particular part of the body or it could be generalized. There is a high tendency that you feel the itchiness immediately after bathing leading to what is called itch-scratch. It could worsen in the night. Uncontrolled itching could cause the skin to crack, become reddish, and could lead to bleeding and infection.

If you experience this, it becomes necessary and important to treat yourself to get rid of your dry skin condition. Continue reading to find out how you can go about this.

How to Get Rid of the Symptoms?

If you are looking forward to getting rid of the symptoms and fixing your dry skin for good, this section is meant for you. Here is all you need to get rid of them

1. Avoid Over-Exfoliating Your Skin

Although it is good to exfoliate the skin once in a while to remove dead cells and to improve the skin condition to absorb some active ingredients. However, over-exfoliating is harmful to dry skin.

While you might think that over-exfoliating your skin can help to improve the appearance of the cracks, flakes, and dry patches on your skin, it does not. It only worsens your condition. Over-exfoliating damages the outmost layer of your dry skin which would increase the risk of having cracks. The cracks can be inflamed leading to infection. Likewise, you will be stripped of your body of its natural oil which is not in large amount on your dry skin.

Better you exfoliate once a week rather than regularly. Use an exfoliating pad or products containing glycolic acid or lactic acid to remove the dead cells. Stay away from products containing retinol.

2. Do Not Use Sulfate Products as Cleansers

While sulfate-containing cleansers like gel cleansers can be good for oily skin, it is extremely bad for people with dry skin. This is because such products are meant to remove excess oil buildup from the skin. To dry skin is bad as you will be exposing the protective layer of your skin to microorganisms that could cause infection, cracks, harmful rays of the sun such as UVA and UVB.

Instead, choose a sulfate-free cleanser to remove the dry patches from your face while you moisturize immediately

3. Apply Moisturizers Thoroughly

After bathing or cleansing, all other skincare routines must be done immediately. After cleansing, you need to apply your moisture immediately to trap moisture and hydrate your skin. Use an alcohol-free moisturizer to obtain the best result as this will not leave your skin feeling dehydrated and flaky.

4. Get Your Antioxidants Serum

Some might want to skip using antioxidants due to one reason or the other. However, it is good to use antioxidants on your dry skin. Antioxidants help to fight free radicals that could damage your skin. The free radicals are responsible for sunburn, wrinkles, fine lines, and the likes. With your dry skin, you do not want to develop these skin conditions.

So get your antioxidants and apply them thoroughly on the face. However, make sure that you use an alcohol-free antioxidant to prevent any loss of oil and moisture on your face. Likewise, the use of Vitamin C and sunscreens can help to prevent the formation of wrinkles and any sign of aging.

5. Use Face Creams Instead Of Lotion

Most people do neglect the usefulness of creams, especially when compared to lotions. Creams have more moisturizing property and you need to keep your skin moisturized. Creams containing hyaluronic acid and ceramides which make the skin barrier healthier would be the perfect cream type for dry skin. Likewise, you can make use of oils that will not clog your pores as well. This will help to maintain the balance between the moisture and oil present on your skin

Furthermore, at night, you can add the use of night cream to your routine. The use of night cream increases the chances of your dry skin repairing itself for the following day

6. Humidifying

Due to environmental influences such as when there is a drop in humidity, the air seems dry. You need to prepare your day by getting a humidifier that will help to add moisture to the air around you. This will protect your skin by keeping it hydrated all the time and prevent the risks of having cracks, flakes, and itches.

What Are the Remedies to Fixing Your Dry Skin?

There are some basic remedies you can use to finally fix up your dry skin. These remedies are commonly used at home and they include

1. Coconut Oil

Thanks to the emollient properties of coconut oil which can help to keep your skin hydrated for long. It protects the skin barrier while keeping it moisturized. No harm will come to you while using coconut oil!

2. Oatmeal Bath

If you want to get the best out of oatmeal to treat your dry skin, add it to your bath. It has an anti-inflammatory property that will help treat your cracks, flakes and reduce itching.

3. Milk

Remember that malnutrition could cause dry skin, however, a diet that contains milk products has been proven to ease and treat dry skin. Do well to add enough milk product to your diet.

Other remedies include honey, petroleum jelly, aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, and so on

Conclusion

Dry skin is caused by so many factors ranging from external factors to internal factors. While the external factors are easily addressed by following the right approaches, internal factors are not easily addressed. Regardless of this, you can get rid of the symptoms by following the tips provided in this article and you can try out some remedies to finally get rid of dry skin. In case, dry skin persists, do well to see a doctor.