Dry skin can make even the simplest routines feel uncomfortable, affecting both how your skin looks and feels. Changes in weather, lifestyle, and skincare habits can all play a role, making it important to take a thoughtful, consistent approach to hydration and skin support. In this article, we'll share practical, effective dry skin tips to help restore moisture, improve texture, and keep your skin looking healthy and radiant. 

Understanding The Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the body.  Its function is to act as a barrier to the external environment, allow the exchange of water and to modify vitamins. Dry skin can be simple or complex.

What Causes Dry Skin?

When the skin is deficient in natural oils, it cannot hold adequate water in its cells, which causes simple dry skin. Oil is important as it acts as a barrier, protecting the skin from water evaporation in the upper layers of the skin while also providing lubrication. Simple dry skin is seen usually in women under 35 years.

Complex dry skin lacks oil and moisture. It commonly affects older adults and relates to aging. Prolonged UV exposure damages the protein in the skin and will lead to the development of fine lines, enlarged pores and brown spots.

What Are The Symtpoms of Dry Skin?

Dry skin appears dull, scaly, flaky, chapped or cracked, and develops fine lines and wrinkles more readily than healthy skin. Skin often feels tight after washing and improves with moisturizer. It appears most on exposed body areas. Nutrient deficiencies, dehydration, chemicals, cosmetics, frequent bathing, harsh soaps, and environmental factors like dry heat, sun, or wind can all cause it.

Dry Skin Support: Topical Treatments & Diet

To fight dry skin topically, avoid chlorinated tap water for drinking and bathing. Stay out of the sun. Use gloves while handling any substance that irritates the skin. Avoid perfumes and colourings in laundry and personal hygiene products. Use glycerin and natural soaps to wash your body, face, and hair. Take oatmeal baths to relieve itching.

Calendula, vitamin E cream, ointment or aloe vera gel can be used to nourish the skin. Steam the skin with herbs such as chamomile, lavender or peppermint.

Dietary change is important for nourishing the skin. Eat foods high in zinc, such as whole grains, sunflower seeds, and raw nuts. Eat lots of fruit, especially mango and apricot, for its water content and alpha-hydroxy acids.  Sulphur-rich foods, like garlic, onions, eggs and asparagus, provide the raw material for building skin proteins.

Essential fatty acids are a source of the good fats for the skin. Use cold-pressed oils, like flax, olive, sunflower and safflower. Avoid hydrogenated fats, fried foods, soft drinks, sugar, chocolate, junk foods, cigarettes and alcohol. Ask your health professional if the prescription medication you are taking is contributing to your dry skin.