Dry skin comes with flaking, cracking and other external problems, but more importantly, it’s uncomfortable. However, before you can banish the itching and discomfort, you should learn what’s causing your issues with dryness in the first place. There’s dozens of reasons why your skin might be on the dry side, each with its own unique solution. If you’re dealing with dry skin and are ready to leave it behind, keep the following in mind:
Cold Weather Dehydrates Skin
With the chill winter weather comes decreased moisture in the air. This dip in humidity directly impacts your skin’s hydration levels, and even those who don’t normally struggle with dryness are likely to encounter issues during the colder months. This is precisely why changing up your routine during the winter months is necessary. Combat the cold by using a thicker hydrating moisturizer and use it more often than you would in your normal routine.
Oil Stripping Products
Some skin care products, unfortunately, do more harm than good when it comes to dryness. Foaming cleansers, for example, often include sulfates. This means that while these cleansers may be excellent at clearing out pores, they also destroy natural oils, leaving skin dry, flaky and unprotected. There are a wide range of oil-stripping ingredients that may be held responsible for unwanted dryness, including:
- Alcohol
- Sulfates
- Harsh acids
- Astringents
Keep dryness at bay by choosing products with gentle, natural formulas instead!
Over-Cleansing & Exfoliation
Cleansing and exfoliating are crucial parts of any good skin care routine, but doing either of them too often will cause dryness. Cleansing too often deprives your skin of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy. Exfoliating too often can create microabrasions on skin, especially if a rough loofah, salt scrub or other gritty product is being used. Both of these issues lead to unwanted dryness.
Too Much Sun Exposure
Getting a bit of sun each day is good for you both physically and mentally. However, too much sun causes skin dryness. Harsh UV rays permeate and sap the hydration and natural oils from unprotected skin, which in turns leads to itchiness, flakiness and even signs of premature aging. Remember to use a rich moisturizer with SPF protection daily to prevent dryness when spending time outdoors!
Medical Conditions
In some cases, skin dryness may be caused by underlying medical issues, and will require additional treatment aside from regular skin care efforts. Some of the most common health problems that cause dry skin include:
- Psoriasis
- Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Diabetes
While using specialized products for dehydrated skin and taking extra measures like using a humidifier and sun protection may help a little with dryness caused by these health issues, it’s likely they won’t cure the problem entirely. Working closely with doctors and dermatologists is the key to treating this sort of dryness!
Understanding what factors impact your skin’s health and cause it to lose hydration is the first step to fighting dryness. Give your skin the care it deserves and invest in the right, gentle hydrating products today to restore smoothness, softness and a healthy glow to even the driest skin.
