No one wants to suffer from dry skin. The feeling as you touch it with your hand is far from comfortable. Dry skin is also unattractive and unsightly. While dry skin may go away quickly for some people, others deal with it seasonally, or even in a chronic form.
The good news for sufferers of dry skin is that there are many ways in which hydration can be restored to skin. In many cases, the key to dry skin is to avoid it in the first place! This article is dedicated to various methods to improve your dry skin. These may be ways to treat it, or ways to prevent the dry skin from popping up in the first place.
1 - Oatmeal Baths
For many centuries, wise matriarchs of families have suggested oatmeal baths for people who have issues with dry skin. These wise women have a point. Oatmeal has a high level of antioxidants and can help to reduce inflammation. This is perfect for people with dry inflamed skin. It’s very simple to chop up oatmeal in a blender or food processor to a powder. From there, simply add it to a bath and enjoy the result.
2 - Skin Creams
Skin cream is a big business. Companies continue to try to find the next big thing when it comes to moisturizing so they can sell expensive creams. In many cases, simple inexpensive skin creams can have plenty of products within to help the skin moisturize. Sadly, in many cases, picking one is a trial and error scenario. Everyone’s skin can respond differently to different products. Therefore, you need to make sure you’re choosing something safe and good for you.
3 - Shower Gently
Most people love taking a hot shower in the morning or at night. It’s refreshing. There’s an issue however. Really hot water can actually scald the skin and reduce the amount of moisture that it takes in. If you are dealing with consistently dry skin, switching to a warm or lukewarm shower temperature could result in much more hydration sticking in the skin. It’s also important to learn about the products you use. Many soaps talk about how they fix dry skin. The truth is that some may cause reactions to their ingredients and cause the opposite effect. If dry skin has been a problem, try switching up products. Talk to a dermatologist and see what they recommend for your specific skin. Another point with shower processes is to immediately moisturize after you take a shower. That’s the right time to use a cream or ointment. It will trap all the moisture from the shower into the skin for long term benefits.
4 - Coconut Oil
This is a common home remedy that people try out. Coconut oil has chemical properties that fill in between skin cells. This means there’s no gap and the skin seems smoother and softer. Most people can use coconut oil anytime. It’s gentle and natural so there’s little concern of a potential reaction. It can be used daily, unlike many other products for skin. Many people like to use coconut oil on the skin of the face, due to the sensitive nature of the face.
5 - Use Humidifiers
It may sound simple, but dry air tends to dry out skin as well. It’s very easy for many homes to be very dry, especially in the winter months. This will exacerbate dry itchy skin, or cause otherwise humid skin to become dry. There’s two options for humidifiers. One can be attached to your furnace, which distributes humidity along with heated air throughout the home. The more common choice is to get a simple portable humidifier that can be taken from room to room. At worst, many people will use a humidifier for their room as they sleep.