February 23, 2008

Dry Skin Care - Causes and Remedies

By: Peter Sams

Many older people suffer from dry skin, particularly on their lower legs, elbows, and forearms. The skin feels rough and scaly and often is accompanied by a distressing, intense itchiness.

Signs of a dry skin are :
  1. Flaky patches that disappear with regular moisturizing.
  2. Finely textured with the pores not being visible.
  3. Tiny expression lines that do not disappear.
Causes Of Dry Skin

A dry skin problem can be uncomfortable and even maddening. Your skin might feel tight and painful; it might look dull or red or flaky. Worst of all is the itchiness -- the sort of overwhelming itchiness that makes you feel like you're infested with fleas, that keeps you awake at night, miserably raking your skin with a back scratcher.

Simple causes include harsh soap, itchy clothing, misusing moisturizer, and long, hot showers. But the medications you take -- and even medical conditions such as diabetes, psoriasis, hypothyroidism, and malnutrition -- can also cause severe dry skin. Read on to understand how and why these problems dry out your skin.

Taking a bath with extremely hot or cold water also causes the skin to dry. Lukewarm water is the best option in such cases. Chemically harsh soaps and cosmetics can also harm the skin to a great extent. Toweling roughly instead of patting removes all the moisture from the skin without allowing the skin to retain the amount it needs.

Remedies for Dry Skin

The remedy is to treat the skin with substances that enhance its moisture-retention capabilities. In early adulthood, our skin cells begin to become more porous and less elastic. When a moisturizer is applied, it hydrates the cells, but the cells quickly lose the moisture. If substances that work synergistically together to restore the skin cells' elasticity are applied to the skin, then as the healing progresses, the cells continue to admit moisture as before, but after the healing are better able to keep it from escaping.

Tips For Dry Skin Care
  1. Excessive exposure to sun should be avoided in case of dry skin and always use Sunscreen lotion before going out insun.
  2. After bathing or shower, do not rub the skin instead use pat dry the skin with a soft Towel and apply the moisturizer for dry skin all over the skin.
  3. If you suffer from any kind of skin problem then consult the skin doctor.
  4. Make a paste of 1 spoon milk cream, 1 spoon multani mitti, ½ spoon honey and little amount of oil. Apply this paste on your skin and keep it there for 10-15 minutes. Wash it off after it gets dry.

1 comment:

stephhutchins said...

Itchy, dry skin is more than irritating. It is annoying. It can also make you nervous while at the same time make your skin red and scaly looking. But what can you do to treat and prevent this very aggravating and common condition from occurring and reoccurring?

If you think it is because of your environmental conditions, you may want to consider adding a humidifier to your surroundings, if it is possible. But if you think your dry skin is not that serious, as of yet and is still treatable by you, there are a number of at home remedies that you can try.

1. Moisturize your skin Look for products that are made for dry, yet sensitive skin. Use moisturizing products all year long. Remember they may even help prevent wrinkles. A great option is Shea Butter which is loaded with essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants and phytonutrients to deeply moisturize the skin. Just place some in your hands first and allow it to warm. Then it can spread quicker. You can apply this at night and wake up with softer, more moisturized skin by morning.

2. Drinking more water If your body isn't getting enough water inside of it, your skin will become dry. Then it will not matter how much lotions and potions you apply to it, it will remain that way. You know they say you should drink from 6 to 8 eight ounce glasses a day. Strive for as close to this as you can.

3. Is your skin extremely dry? Try this messy method. Take a warm bath. Then after partially drying off, apply thick liberal layers of Shea Butter all over your skin. Now promptly put on your pajamas and go to bed. You will wake up with really soft, supple glowing skin with a velvety texture.

Remember dry skin makes us appear dull and can cause us to age quicker. Do what you can to keep that skin soft and moisturized.

To learn more about Shea Butter, visit Purely Shea at http://www.purelyshea.com/ for more information.