Caring for Dry Skin
Dry skin is characterized by tight, flaky skin and tends to show more fine lines and wrinkles than other skin types. It is more sensitive to some substances on contact and becomes irritated easier. Replenishing and retaining moisture levels is essential to diminish fine lines, wrinkles, irritations and flakiness. Emollient creams and lotions seal in moisture and are a wonderful solution for dry, cracked skin.
Drinking plenty of water, avoiding hot baths, and keeping humidity levels in your indoor environment as balanced as possible will contribute to moisture retention in dry skin. Of course, you have no control over humidity conditions outdoors, but you can apply emollient creams or lotions that will prevent the excess loss of moisture when you are exposed to drying elements while you are outdoors. Avoiding excessive caffeine, alcohol, and other fluids that act as diuretics will also help.
After cleansing with a mild cleanser or soap that doesn’t strip your skin of essential oils it’s a good idea to apply moisturizers before drying off. The moisturizers will lock in moisture and contribute to softer, smoother, and more supple skin. Give your skin time to absorb the moisture before moving on to your next routine step.
Two to three times per week use an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells which tend to flake as they dry out. Take care not to apply too much pressure when using an exfoliant or you could irritate your skin. It doesn’t take much to slough off dry, flaky dead cells.
