Water is beneficial to the entire body, including the skin. Without adequate hydration, the skin becomes dry and prone to developing more wrinkles, blemishes, and fine lines. Here are some dry skin remedies to give you healthier and more hydrated skin.

The Science of Skin Hydration

Drinking less water than you need puts your skin at risk of being dry and dehydrated. But what does water have to do with the integrity of the skin? Hydrated skin has better mechanical properties. So, they are much more pliable and stronger against physical stress.

The skin is a large organ that benefits from the amount of water you take every day. Enough water circulating in the body allows capillaries to pull fluid into the skin. Here, water hydrates the skin from within and gives it its plump and fresh appearance.

There are some subtle differences when discussing dry and dehydrated skin. When the skin is dehydrated, it contains less water than needed. Dehydrated skin looks duller, darker, and blemished.   Insufficient drinking of water is not the only problem. Sometimes, the body expels too much water by urinating or sweating them.

If you want a simple way to find out if your skin is dehydrated, try pinching a small area of the skin around your cheek. Dehydrated skin does not bounce back to its normal shape after letting go of the pinched area.

On the other hand, dry skin is more closely related to external factors. The skin has natural mechanisms to lock moisture in. However, it will fail to do so when you live in hot weather, intense sun exposure, and pollution.

Also, when your sebaceous glands do not produce sufficient oils, your skin can dry out quickly. When this happens, the skin is easily irritated or appears scaly and irritated.

Furthermore, your overall health can also affect your skin condition. People with too much stress or dealing with malnutrition can sometimes have dry skin as well. So, it is also important to have your health checked every once in a while!

Dry skin is much more obvious as you can easily notice its symptoms. Once you feel that your skin is more scaly and easily irritated, it might be a good time to consult a dermatologist to manage the situation.

10 Important Dry Skin Remedies

Dry skin remedies are usually effective if you have the correct regimen and products with you. If you want your skin to feel plump and hydrated again, you can look into these 10 important remedies:

1. Use moisturizer daily.

An effective way to bring back the hydration your skin needs is by using moisturizers. Use a moisturizer of your choice every day. It is best to apply it within five minutes after taking a bath, or whenever your skin feels dry. Take an appropriate amount of moisturizer and massage the product onto your skin.

It is best to use products like Humeda and Nourishing Night Oil to achieve well-hydrated skin. Humeda is a non-comedogenic moisturizing cream that can be used even if you have oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. This product is infused with ingredients like Pentavitin and Hydranov PA which hydrates the skin and locks in moisture.

Nourishing Night Oil’s Vitamin E and jojoba oil also help dry skin become smooth, elastic, and plump. Constant use of this product can produce significant effects on dry skin.

2. Choose an appropriate kind of moisturizer.

Moisturizers are designed to deliver certain active ingredients to the skin. You should also factor in the right delivery system to aid your skin’s healing. Dry skin can easily heal when you use the right kind of moisturizer. There are a lot of formulations in the market, and it can get quite overwhelming!

A commonly prescribed type of moisturizer is ointments. They can stay on the skin longer, making them perfect for more intense skin problems like psoriasis and eczema. However, ointments can leave you with a greasy feel.

Other readily available delivery systems are lotions and creams. Lotions are more lightweight compared to ointments. They do not have oils, so you will not have that greasy feel when you use them on the skin. On the other hand, creams are less viscous and a lot less greasy when applied.

It is recommended to reach out to ointments or creams as your moisturizers. These are generally more effective in delivering the hydrating components of a moisturizer and are less irritating on the skin.

3. Use a gentle cleanser to wash your skin.

To help your skin remain healthy, use a gentle cleanser to wash off excess oil and unwanted dirt. However, be cautious as some cleansers are tough on delicate and dry skin. You would induce more harm to your skin if you use cleansers with too many harsh chemicals.

So, choose a gentle and fragrance-free cleanser to wash your skin. This will ensure that your skin can stay clean and free from dirt without stripping off the natural oils that your skin needs.

4. Exfoliate!

Flakiness and scaling are common manifestations of dry skin. You may exfoliate these dead skin cells to remove the patchy texture and help moisturizing products adhere better to your skin.

An easy way to exfoliate is by mechanically removing the dead skin cells with scrubs and cleansing brushes. Or, you can opt for chemical peels such as products infused with alpha-hydroxyl and beta-hydroxyl acids. Also known as AHAs and BHAs, these ingredients dissolve dead skin cells and reveal a softer layer of skin.

5. Change your bathing habits.

Your bathing habits can also contribute to the dryness of the skin. Hot water can remove the natural moisture of the skin and aggravate dryness. Plus, taking too long in the shower can also remove too much moisture from the skin.

Hence, it is much better to limit warm baths to around five minutes to prevent too much drying of the skin. When it is time to dry after the shower, do gentle pats on the skin with a towel and avoid rubbing as this can induce further irritation.

6. Avoid too much sun exposure.

Being under the sun means that you are constantly exposed to the harsh UV rays. Unfortunately, these can also lead to further drying of the skin! Use sunscreen or wear long sleeves and pants to keep these harsh rays away from your skin.

7. Consider using a humidifier.

Again, dry skin needs to have as much moisture as possible. Your external environment might be causing more harm to your skin, especially during the colder season. So, you can use a humidifier in your bedroom or home. This will boost the level of humidity in your home so that you will not passively lose your precious skin’s moisture.

8. Wear loose clothes and comfortable fabric.

If you have dry skin on other parts of the body, you may want to wear loose clothes and comfy fabric. Tight jeans and leggings constantly rub the skin and could cause irritation and drying. Moreover, certain types of fabric like wool and polyester can be irritating to dry skin, so it is best to avoid these.

9. Seek professional consultation.

Sometimes, dry skin is more than the flakiness and dead skin cells. Very dry skin can be irritated and itchy. So, you may want to seek professional consultation with a dermatologist when symptoms persist. Getting infections, developing a rash, constant itch, and pain may signal the need to reach out to these consultations.

This helps you avoid the hard trial-and-error stage with various skincare products as the dermatologist will tailor-fit a treatment regimen for your skin’s needs.

10. Follow the prescribed medication.

Lastly, do not forget to follow the prescribed medication given to you. Seeking professional help for your dry skin is a lot more effective if you are diligent in following your treatment plan. Also, some cases would necessitate the use of topical steroids or oral medications. Aside from being ineffective, misuse of these prescribed medications may lead to further irritation, itching, or rash.

Conclusion

We all have different skin types, and some may experience a lot more issues than others. Dry skin is not an unusual case, and there are a lot of ways to deal with this problem.

Dry skin remedies are effective for managing your skin issues, as long as you stick with a regimen that works for your skin. And do not forget that you may always opt to seek professional consultation! Dermatologists know what is best for your skin and can help you manage your dry skin more efficiently.

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