Alternative Remedies for Dry Skin and Scalp

Many of us from time to time - or even all the time - seem to experience dry skin or scalp. This can be simply irritating to downright miserable. Fortunately, there are many ways to combat this, even if you have a skin condition. There can be a variety of causes when it comes to dry skin or scalp. Aside from the possibility of a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, these causes may include pollution, smoke, food, weather, temperature of your home or water when you bathe, hard water, and soap products that you use. A lot of these things, like pollution and weather, cannot be changed. But no matter what the cause, dry skin can still be counter-acted by quite a few different means.

First, look at what soap or cosmetic products you are using. Anything to do with shampoo, soap, or even makeup may contain skin irritants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulphate, sodium beryl sulfate or lye, all of which have been recommended to be avoided even if they aren't drying out your skin. They aren't good for the skin anyway, and products that instead contain cocoa butter or lanolin will help keep the dryness and irritants away. This is because they are natural moisturizers that help lock in hydration to the skin, which is essential to keep it from drying out.

After throwing away the products that just might be causing you more irritation, you may want to invest in a humidifier and/or a good selection of house plants, as both will help keep the air moisturized so your skin will not dry out. This is particularly good for the winter time, when heaters and wood stoves especially can really dry the air out, or the summer if you live in desert areas with low or no humidity or simply have your air conditioner on all the time.

Conventional methods, like moisturizing lotions, can work great when used regularly, but they aren't always the best when it comes to combating severely dry skin or fighting a skin condition. And if it is dry scalp you have, it is generally difficult to use a moisturizing lotion on it. Listed below are a few alternative remedies which you can use to ease your dry skin issues.

- Chamomile: This is a natural antihistamine, which is great when it comes to allergic skin reactions such as hives, skin conditions such as eczema, or just plain dry skin. It helps to keep inflammation down and damaged skin in a clean state, while protecting against future dry skin. These things are also why chamomile lotion has been a long-time remedy for any sort of itchy skin problem. Aside from lotion form, it also comes in body washes, shampoos and oils - the last two of which are both preferable if you have a dry scalp.

- Jojoba: The oil of jojoba is one of the best when it comes to treating dry skin. Even if you have oily skin and thus are afraid to use oil over it, you shouldn't be, as it actually lessens oil production in the skin while moisturizing dryness. It is great both for the scalp and dry areas on the body.

- Neem: This is an ancient Ayurvedic medicine that has been proved again and again through time of its usefulness. It helps to relieve dry, red, and/or itchy skin as well as moisturizing it to prevent future problems. Its oil is of great use in applying to the scalp or over dry patches of skin on the body.

- Omega vitamins: One of the easiest ways to help fight dry skin and keep it healthy is to make sure you're getting enough of the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are common in fish, nuts, seeds, and sunflower and soybean oils. Simply incorporating these into your diet or taking a supplement for it should help a lot.

- Pure virgin coconut oil: Unrefined coconut oil is great when it comes to a dry or itchy scalp, as well as dry area over the body. It also leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturized when you spread it over the skin and let it become absorbed.