What to Do for Excessive Dry Skin

Ever get that itchy, dry skin that kind of gets flaky and may even feel cracked. Well dry skin normally happens during the winter months when the skin loses water to the air. Dry indoor air is normally a cause of dry skin. But did you know that excessve bathing with hot water can cause dry skin problems. Dry skin is often worse during the winter due to lower humidity and indoor heat.

To prevent dry skin, avoid showers, showers strip the skin's natual oil which helps hold in moisture. Use bath oils when you bathe. Use mile soaps expecially under the arms and in the denital area. Seal in moisture with a moiturizing lotion after your bath.

Keep the itchy area well lubricated. An oatmeal bath may help relieve the itching. To do a homemade oatmeal bath is really easy, put a cup of oatmeal in a cotton cloth and boil as you would to cook it. Use this as a sponge and bathe in luke warm water with soap. If you can go to your local drug store try Aveeno oatmeal bath. Calamine lotion is also helpful for the itching. Also is the itching continues you can use 1 percent hysdrocortisone cream for small areas of dry skin.

If you hands are extremely dry, apply a thin layer of pertoleum jelly and wear thin cotton gloves to bed. Try to wear cotton clothing and avoid acyylic fabrics and wool fabrics because both of these will cause continued itching. Call a doctor or visit your doctor is the itching is so bad that you cannot sleep or that the skin starts to break due to scrathing.