Prevent Dry Skin with These Helpful Tips

A lot of people suffer from dry skin specially those who live in places where the cold climate is apparent. Skin needs to be adequately moisturized to be able to function well. In normal skin types, the oil glands produce the right amount of natural oils that prevent skin from losing its natural moisture. The natural oils work by trapping the moisture from within the skin and act as a natural moisture barrier. Normally, the skin needs to contain about ten to twenty percent of water but there are instances when the water concentration falls below ten percent and the outermost layer of the skin drops off its natural moisturizing substances. When this happens, the skin dries out, loses its flexibility, most of the time itches and in some extreme cases, cracks painfully.

Some other characteristics of dry skin include flaking and scaling; red and dull patches; a tough and rough texture; tightness in the skin; and invisible or unnoticeable pores. Dry skin is prevalent on the extremities (face, hands, fingers, feet, knees, elbows).

Aside from the cold weather, other factors that can produce dry skin are direct contact with chemicals or products that contain ingredients that cause dry skin; some medications that can affect the natural moisture of the skin, exposure to sun, dry air inside the house caused by overheating during the winter or too much cold air conditioning, medical conditions such as diabetes and thyroid, and skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. Also, as we age, the skin also loses its natural moisture, so the skin dries out and wrinkles.

If you have dry skin and is suffering from it, here are some helpful tips to prevent or at least alleviate the irritations caused by it:

Moisturize within

Drink at least 4 glasses of water everyday. This will flush out toxins and keep the skin adequately hydrated. Drink more after exercising or if you feel you need to drink some more.

Get enough sleep.

Getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night helps your skin become more hydrated as skin cells are actively being repaired during sleep time.

Eat a balance diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Eating foods rich in Vitamins A, C and E such as fruits and vegetables help a lot in preventing dry skin. Also, make sure to include nuts, grains, and seeds in your diet as these foods contain natural oils that can help in providing natural moisture to your skin. Olive oil is also a natural skin moisturizer if taken into your body so use olive oil in you salad or in your stir fried vegetables.

Get enough exercise.

Try to get at least 15-20 minutes of exercise everyday as regular exercise increase blood circulation that results in natural oxidation and expulsion of toxins from your body. A good blood circulation produces enough natural skin oils to moisturize your skin.

Avoid long, hot baths and showers.

Hot showers and baths wash off the natural oils in our body so cut down your time on doing these things. And apply a moisturizing lotion after patting your skin dry with a towel.

Avoid toxins.

Alcohol, smoking cigarettes or cigars, too much caffeine, fried foods, and too much sugar all contribute to having a dry skin so avoid too much intake of these things to prevent further skin damage.

Use a sun block.

One of the main factors that cause dry skin is too much sun exposure. Fortunately, there are now plenty of sunscreens that effectively block the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. Choose a sun block that has at least 30 spf and apply it about 20 minutes before you go outside. Don't skip the sun block even if the weather is cloudy.

Lastly, choose a dry skin care remedy that provides retention of natural oils in the skin. Look for natural ingredients like hyaluronic acid, lanolin, and vitamin E that all helps in maintaining moisture and helps the skin to heal naturally, making it soft, supple and vibrant.