Treat Dry Skin with 6 Easy Home Remedies
It is a condition that can be annoying, but it is usually temporary. It may only be an issue during winter for some, but it can also last a lifetime. The skin on the arms and legs is usually the driest, but it varies depending on the person. The signs and symptoms of dryness also depend on age, health, how much time you spend outdoors, and the cause.
Dry skin can cause several symptoms, including a tightening sensation, particularly after bathing or going swimming, rough skin (pruritus), itching, redness, mild to severe flaking or scaling, fine cracks or lines, or gray or ashy skin on people with darker skin.
Environmental factors cause most cases of dry skin (xerosis), but some diseases can also cause your skin to dry.
The following are some of the causes of dry skin.
Weather
When temperatures and humidity levels are low, your skin is at its driest in the winter. It’s only sometimes the case, however. In desert areas, humidity can be intense, and temperatures can rise.
Heat & hot baths and showers
All these things contribute to decreased humidity and can dry out your skin. Even long, hot showers and baths can cause your skin to dry out. Swimming, especially in heavily chlorinated pools, can also dry out your skin.
Harsh Detergents and Soaps
Most soaps, dishwashers, and detergents you use daily strip your skin of moisture. Antibacterial soaps and detergent soaps tend to be the most harmful. If you suffer from dry scalp, your shampoo may be the cause.
Sun Exposure
It is not surprising that the sun’s ultraviolet radiations also penetrate beyond the surface of the skin. The most severe damage is deep in your skin, leading to wrinkles and loose skin.
Other Skin Conditions
Dry skin is common in people with skin conditions like atopic Dermatitis, psoriasis, or a disease that causes a rapid accumulation of dead, dry, and rough skin cells.
Tips to Heal Dry Skin
Dermatologists offer simple tips to heal and prevent dry skin.
- Avoid taking daily baths that aggravate dry skin. Close the bathroom door if you have dry skin. Limit your bath to 10 or 12 minutes, and only use warm water.
- If you have dehydrated skin, use a mild, fragrance-free face cleanser. Apply enough cleaner (but not so much as to create a lather), so it can remove dirt and flaky facial skin.
- Gently blot with a soft cloth when drying your face and after bathing. Apply a generous layer of moisturizer after your skin has dried. All creams, lotions, and ointments trap moisture within your skin. To retain moisture, apply moisturizer immediately after washing your hands or face and drying your skin after showering.
- Use an ointment or cream instead of a lotion for dehydrated skin. Lotions are fine for dry skin that occurs occasionally, but creams and oils are more effective than lotions. Choose an ointment that contains fat, such as olive oil or jojoba. Shea Butter is also effective. Looking at the back of the creams, you can find other ingredients that soothe dry skin. These include urea (or lactic acid), hyaluronic, and mineral oils. Dimethicone is also a good ingredient.
- You can use non-greasy hand cream to treat your hands if they become scorched. Apply it as often as necessary or each time you wash them. This will help to relieve dry skin.
- Always use lip balm. Switch to another product if you notice that your lips tingle or sting after applying lip balm.
- People with dry skin should use skin care products that are gentle and unscented. Some skin care products may look appealing and pretty but are unsuitable for sensitive and dry skin.
- If you have dry skin, stop using soaps that contain fragrance or deodorant. Avoid skin care products that contain alcohol, fragrances, retinoids, or alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) to help your skin retain its natural oils.
- Choose your detergent carefully, and wear clothes with a smooth texture. Even the simplest things can irritate our skin when scorched and raw. To avoid this, wear cotton or silk underneath clothing that feels rough. Choose a laundry detergent that is labeled as ‘hypoallergenic.’
- Wear gloves. Our hands are the first places where we feel dry skin. Wearing gloves can help reduce the appearance of dry skin in winter. Wear gloves when you are going outside, performing tasks that require you to get wet without needing to, or before you expose your hands to grease chemicals and other substances.
- You can keep warm without a fireplace or any other source of heat. Although you may want to stay in front of the open flame (or another heat source) for a long time in winter, it could dry out your skin.
- Plug in to add moisture to the winter air.
Home Remedies for Dry Skin
Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and healthy fatty acids. It can soothe and moisturize dry skin on your entire body. When applying moisturizer to dry skin, dab a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil underneath.
You can also try to lightly massage olive oil on your body or in areas prone to dryness, such as the legs, arms, or stomach, about 30 minutes before you hop into the shower. Apply a thin layer of moisturizer after showering.
Make an easy-to-make homemade scrub to remove flaky skin by adding two tablespoons of olive oil and four tablespoons of refined brown sugar. This mixture should be gently rubbed over the dry skin in circular motions. After showering, apply a thin layer of moisturizer.
Milk Cream
Milk cream’s soothing properties help maintain your skin’s pH balance, which is essential for maintaining. Milk cream has many other benefits as well.
You can use milk cream to treat dry skin on your arms and legs. Take one teaspoon of milk and two teaspoons of cream, and add some drops of lemon. Rub it all over your arms and legs, and leave it for a few minutes before you shower.
You can also make a paste with milk cream by mixing gram flour, milk cream, and enough milk cream. Use the paste to cover your hands, legs, and face for 15 minutes, then wash it off using lukewarm aqueous water. Do this every day.
Milk
The naturally soothing and anti-inflammatory properties of milk can help relieve dry, itchy skin. The lactic acid in milk helps to exfoliate dead cells and increases the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
After soaking a washcloth with cold milk, place it on the affected areas for 5 to 7 minutes. Wash off the milk gently with a cloth soaked in warm water. This will leave a natural moisturizer on your skin. This should be done every other day if your skin is generally dry.
Add a few drops to four tablespoons of milk and then rub the solution on your skin. After a few minutes, wash the body with ice-cold water. Follow this remedy twice a day for severely dry skin.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has antiseptic, antifungal, and soothing properties that help soothe and calm dry skin. Your skin requires a certain amount of nutrition. Aloe vera can work wonders on your skin if you add it to your self-care routine. It can be used to treat, restore, exfoliate, and reveal your skin and provide constant nutrition. Did you know Ayurvedic treatments refer to Aloe vera as the miracle herb? It can treat minor wounds, burns, and dry skin.
Aloe Vera contains beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E. These nutrients have anti-aging and nourishing properties. It moisturizes the skin without making it oily.
Take a fresh leaf of aloe vera, open it, and squeeze out the gel. This simple home remedy will give your skin the moisture it needs and create a protective barrier from impurities. Let the gel sit on your skin for 10 to 15 mins. Use lukewarm tepid water to rinse it off (do this at least twice daily).
Almond Oil
Almond oil contains a high amount of Vitamin E and is therefore considered the best emollient for dry skin. Its antioxidant properties are also excellent for the health of your skin. This oil is also non-greasy and quickly absorbs into the skin.
Warm up some almond oil. It should not be scalding. Massage the warm almond oil onto your skin about 30 minutes before bathing. Apply a thin layer of moisturizer to your skin while it is still moist after bathing. This should be done every time you shower or bathe.
Mix one teaspoon of almond oil with a warm glass of milk to sleep well. You’ll sleep better and have healthier skin if you regularly drink warm milk with almond oil.
If you are allergic to almonds, you should not use almond oil.
Honey
Honey is one of nature’s best moisturizers because it has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Love helps to lock in moisture and make your smooth and soft.