Dry Skin Care - Your Quick And Easy Guide

by Helen Hecker

Dry skin is easily treatable today when you know how to take care of it - inside and out.

Dry skin is easily treatable today when you know how to take care of it - inside and out. Xeroderma, the medical name for dry skin, occurs most commonly on the lower legs, arms, the sides of the abdomen and thighs and is a very common condition.

Skin contains hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, apocrine glands and blood vessels. The dermis is structurally divided into two areas: a superficial area adjacent to the epidermis, called the papillary region, and a deep thicker area known as the reticular region. Our skin has many nerve endings that provide the sense of touch and heat.

Bathing or showering too frequently, especially if one is using harsh soaps, may contribute to dry skin. The symptoms most associated with dry skin are: scaling, which is the visible peeling of the outer skin layer, itching, and cracks in the skin. Dry skin can be caused by a deficiency of vitamin A, systemic illness, overexposure to sunlight or some medications.

Serious skin complications, including a dry skin condition, can arise for people with type 2 diabetes. Skin gets exposed to the elements, especially in winter, causing it to become drier. Dermatitis, contact dermatitis, eczema, seborrhea or psoriasis may cause the skin to become very dry too.

Good clear skin is usually a reflection of having a good working non-constipated digestive system. Drink freshly extracted carrot juice, if you can, every day; carrot juice is an excellent cleanser for the liver, great for the skin and contains a great deal of nutrients, all beneficial for dry skin, eczema, acne, zits, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and other breakouts. For an easy fiber boost, to help your skin, add one to two tablespoons of ground up flaxseeds to two or three apples and mix in your food processor.

If you use moisturizers, use the thick, oily-type which work better for dry skin. Dry and pat your skin gently and thoroughly after a bath or shower if it's extremely dry or irritated. Cosmetics should be used carefully because they may dry out the skin or cause allergic reactions like contact dermatitis; read the labels.

Use a thin layer of coconut oil under your make-up, if you wear it, to moisturize and soften your skin throughout the day. Coconut oil is very inexpensive - a great, cheap home remedy for all skin conditions. Use can use bath oils and moisturizers every day, but coconut oil has the added power of healing.

After a soothing bath or shower at night just before bedtime, apply a thin layer of coconut oil over your entire body; it'll even last on your skin through your shower in the morning. Apply coconut oil to irritated or chapped lips as well; it's edible, so it's safe and so healing to the lips.

Skin that's not clean favors the development of pathogenic organisms; the dead cells continually slough off of the epidermis and mix with the secretions of the sweat and sebaceous glands and the dust found on the skin, to form a layer on its surface. Many skin conditions can be converted into clear, healthy skin by using natural home remedies.