How to Relieve or Treat Dry Skin

Is your skin feeling tight and itchy? Do you also notice peeling and cracking or rough texture? These are the symptoms of dry skin, which is often a temporary condition but can also be a long-term one. It is mainly due to your body producing less sebum or natural oil (than normal), which is needed to protect the skin’s surface against environmental aggressors.

Having dry skin is not necessarily harmful, but it can be bothersome and uncomfortable. This is particularly true if your skin is feeling itchy or if you notice some flaking and peeling. Continue reading to find out the causes of dry skin and how you can improve or relieve said condition. 

So, what exactly is dry skin?

As previously mentioned, dry skin is due to your body or sebaceous glands not producing enough sebum to protect and hydrate your skin. And without that needed moisture, your skin can feel tight and uncomfortable. There are also cases where environmental factors can strip that oil and cause dry skin symptoms, including:

• A feeling of tightness
• Itchiness
• Rough skin texture
• Flaking, scaling, or peeling
• Fine lines or cracks 

What causes dry skin?

Dry skin can appear almost anywhere on the body, but can be more prominent on the face. Knowing the root cause of said condition is important in improving and treating your dry skin. Below are a few common causes and tips on helping your skin retain moisture.

Over washing or cleansing

Washing your face too much or too often strips away your skin of that much-needed moisture to stay balanced and hydrated. It is also worth noting that constantly getting rid of sebum causes your skin to overcompensate by producing more oil, which contributes to other skin conditions like pimples and acne.

What you can do: Wash your face twice a day and after exercising or sweating out. Use a mild face cleanser and don’t forget to use a moisturizer afterward. Make sure not to aim for squeaky-clean skin or face, as this can only damage the protective barrier of your skin, leaving it feeling dry and tight, as well as accentuate signs of aging. 

If you’re dealing with fine lines and wrinkles, our Vitamin E Anti-Aging and Firming Facial Mask can help minimize their appearance and leave your skin smoother. It also offers intense hydration that helps your skin retain moisture and improve elasticity for a firmer complexion.

Overdoing it with skincare

There is no shortage of skincare products that promise to treat or improve almost any skin issue. While many of these formulas deliver results, they can also cause dryness, especially if you constantly use them and don’t give your skin enough time to adjust. This is particularly true for exfoliating ingredients such as AHAs and BHAs. 

What you can do: If you’re using such skincare, follow the instructions carefully and allow your skin to get accustomed. You can do this by using the product every other day, then gradually increasing how often you do so. And if you’re dealing with breakouts, try asking a skin or aesthetic doctor for a regimen or products that won’t over-dry your skin.

Using harsh soaps or cleansers

Similar to over-cleansing, using harsh soaps can also strip the skin of its natural oils. Irritating ingredients in cleansers, especially when used on the face can compromise the skin’s protective barrier and lead to dryness, tightness, and irritation. Deodorant soaps, as well as perfumed ones and those with alcohol and strip away natural moisture. 

What you can do: Minimize your use of soap, more particularly when washing your face. You can check out drsylviaskincare.com for gentle cleansers that won’t strip the skin. It is also a good idea to switch to moisturizing body wash or if you still want to stick with soaps, choose soap-free cleansers or moisturizing ones. 

Hot water or showers 

While it is true that hot showers are relaxing, they can dry out your skin and potentially cause irritation. It is also worth noting that the hotter the water, the more sebum or natural oils it can strip from your skin. This is especially true if you bathe or shower for more than 10 minutes daily. 

What you can do: Replace a hot bath or shower with a lukewarm one. Keep your shower time between five and 10 minutes, which is enough to properly cleanse your skin without over stripping it. Then, apply a face moisturizer or body lotion while your skin is still damp to seal in moisture and prevent dry skin. 

Certain conditions or medications

Those with skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis are more likely to have dry skin. Some health conditions, however, can result in dry skin, including allergies, diabetes, thyroid disease, and kidney disease. There are also medications that can negatively affect your skin’s hydration and cause dryness. 

What you can do: If you’re noticing symptoms of dry skin, ask your healthcare provider if it is a side effect of the medicines you’re taking. If they are the culprit, lifestyle changes such as using gentle soaps, moisturizing, and avoiding hot showers can help prevent dryness.

Climate or environment

Low-humidity climates or cold and windy conditions increase your likelihood of having dry skin. Decreased humidity levels cause the dry water to pull out moisture not just from the air, but also your skin. Warmer climates that lack humidity like the desert can also do the same thing to your skin. 

What you can do: Using a humidifier at night can help add moisture to the air and your skin. You can also benefit from modifying your skin care regimen or using heavy moisturizer if your skin has become dry and itchy. Skin relief lotions or those that are labeled “for extra dry skin” or “ultra healing” are worth considering.

Aging and genetics

Your genetics may also be the culprit for your dry skin, particularly with a loss or lack of filaggrin gene or FLG. FLG builds a structural protein that affects the skin’s moisture level and a deficiency in it enables higher than usual water loss, resulting in a weak skin barrier and dryness. 

Aging or older skin tends to be drier too due to the thinning of the skin and less production of sebum needed to retain water and moisture. Thinning skin and wrinkling are a normal part of the body’s aging process, but they can make some people look much older or self-conscious. 

What you can do: A blood work from your doctor can determine if genetics is the cause of your dry skin. For dry skin due to aging, be consistent with skincare habits that can help your skin retain moisture such as moisturizing daily, limiting water exposure, and using a gentle cleanser. 

The first step in relieving the symptoms is to identify and understand the causes of dry skin. Making necessary changes or positive lifestyle tips can make a difference, as well as using skin care formulated for dry skin. Talking to a skin or aesthetic doctor can also help, especially if you tried these remedies but still have dry skin.

For more skincare tips or product recommendations, browse through our blog. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us or book a consultation with our aesthetic doctors for skin concerns that are making you feel self-conscious.