Remedies for Dry Skin

Dry skin is a problem that affects millions of men and women around the world. There are several causes of dry skin. Some of the most common causes of dry skin include over-exposure to the elements, under active oil glands, dietary problems, and biological factors. In order to treat your dry skin properly, you need to understand what is causing it.

Diet Remedies

Most people who have dry skin don’t think about making changes to their diet as a way to treat their skin problem. However, many cases of dry skin are caused by diet problems. If you think that your dry skin may be caused by an unbalanced diet then there are ways of correcting the problem. First of all incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet, especially green leafy vegetables and fruits that have high concentrations of anti-oxidants like fresh berries. Whole foods will also help to improve your overall health and they will provide your skin with better nutrition. Other foods that you might want to consider adding to your diet include flax seed oil, salmon, cantaloupe, carrots, apricots, wheat germ, and plain yogurt. You should also try to avoid fried foods, caffeine, chocolate, sugar and other types of highly processed foods, as all of these foods can dehydrate your skin.

Changes in Your Bathing Habits

Another cause of dry skin is inappropriate bathing techniques for your skin type. Hot baths dry skin out, so when you bathe use cooler water. Also, bathing too often can dry out your skin. Instead of taking a short bath or shower every day, try taking longer baths every other day. You skin needs to soak in water in order to absorb moisture. Simply getting it wet isn’t enough. It needs 15 to 20 minutes of soaking to take in enough water to impact the health and condition of your skin. Next, reduce the frequency of your bathing to help maintain more of the natural oils in your skin. Finally towel dry your body after you bathe or shower. If you air dry your skin the evaporation will take with it your skin’s natural moisture.

Medication

If you have a medical condition like Psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, or seborrhea then you may need to take medication in order to treat your dry skin. Simply using lotions, creams, and ointments will not cure your dry skin if it is caused by a medical condition. This is why it is very important to understand what is causing your dry skin before you select a treatment method.

Lotions, Creams, Body Butters, and Ointments

If your dry skin is caused by your environment then lotions, creams, body butters, and ointments are a great option. Try out several to see which one works best for you. Select a topical treatment with ingredients that are designed to protect your skin against the elements that you are concerned about. For example if you have dry skin because of sun exposure look for a lotion or cream that has an SPF added to its ingredients.