How to care for dry skin

December has already fallen upon us and we all know what that is famous for (apart from Christmas). As you might have guessed especially for people living in our climate, it's the harmattan season. Being one of my least favorite weather doesn't stop me from preparing for this phase as I do have oily skin. However, this article is about individuals with dry skin. I want to believe that by now most people would have been able to identify the type of skin they have and how well to care for it.

Dry skin can be unattractive because rough patches are usually seen on hands, legs, ankles, feet, and arms. It can be hereditary or caused by aging, medical conditions, and poor skin care habits. Most dry skin is caused by external influence, therefore the skin can respond to external skincare treatment. If you have dry skin, be mindful of the following signs, they are symptoms of dermatitis. Usually, it comes in the form of redness on the skin. 

💟There is seborrheic dermatitis. Here, you would notice a red itchy rash on different parts of the body. It can occur on the scalp, sides of the nose and eyebrows. 

💟Another type of dermatitis is allergic contact dermatitis. This usually happens when a particular substance touches the skin thereby causing an allergic reaction. Most times it appears as scaling on the finger.

💟 A fungal infection known as athlete’s foot occurs on the feet. It shows as an itchy flaky skin on the soles of the feet and in between the toes. When it is left untreated, it can result in skin inflammation and redness.

💟Another is Eczema, which is also known as atopic dermatitis, which causes excessive dry and itchy skin.

You don’t need to break a bank before preventing or treating any of these, there is a very effective daily skin routine suitable for dry skin.

Skincare routine suitable for dry skin

Bath or shower properly.

Avoid using hot water to bath. Hot water can easily strip oil from the skin. Use warm water instead, do not exceed 10 minutes in the shower. A long bath can cause dried-out skin.

Make use of a shower gel or mild cleanser.

Apply cream on your body when your skin is still wet. Moisturizing when the skin is moist, locks moisture in your skin.

Get a good cream that contains these ingredients:

• Ceramics. This is a perfect moisturizing ingredient for dry skin. It helps the skin hold water.
• Glycerin or Dimethicone. These ingredients draw water to the skin and also retain the water.
• Hyaluronic acid also helps the skin to retain water.
• Mineral oil, petroleum jelly and lanolin keep water in the skin, usually absorbed while bathing.

More tips

1. At home, use a humidifier to keep your skin hydrated.
2. Synthetic and wool can be irritating on dry skin, wear mostly cotton.
3. Drink lots of water.
4. Consume more Omega-3 foods. Examples of this food are flax, cold-water fish such as sardines and salmon, safflower oil and walnuts.

Whenever you experience inflammation or itching, apply hydrocortisone cream on the inflamed area for a week. If symptoms persist, visit your doctor. Having dry skin can be hereditary like I stated earlier, so do not feel bad if you’ve noticed you have one. If your dry skin has been caused by external influences, you can easily overcome it. Just practice these daily skincare routines and use the best creams for dry skin, check carefully for the ingredients I listed earlier when purchasing a moisturizing cream.

Until then take care of yourself.