Why Is My Skin So Dry? The 9 Main Causes and How To Get Relief For Dry Skin!

1 out of 5 Americans will get Skin Cancer. Skin can give you an idea of overall health. Here’s what you need to know: As we get older, our cells…

Why Is My Skin So Dry

I’m going to explain how you can condition your skin to be the best that it can be and reduce your chances of dry, flaky skin.

Before I do, did you know that dry skin can be an indicator or other conditions? Visually checking your skin can give you an idea of your overall health. For example, a malfunctioning thyroid gland can cause our skin’s appearance to drastically change from one extreme to the next. As we get older, our cells also shed much more slowly. That’s why a baby’s skin is so soft. Because one out of five Americans will battle skin cancer at some point in their lifetime, it’s becoming more important than ever that we pay attention to what our skin tells us.

Before we begin, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is my dry skin mild or severe?
  • Is it hereditary?

Even if your skin is severe and it’s been in your family for generations, realize that you do have options.

I’m going to explain how you can condition your skin to be the best that it can be and reduce your chances of dry, flaky skin.

Remedies For Dry Skin

If we’re going to address the problem, it’s important to be aware of the four major offenders when it comes to skin irritation. I’ll explain why they’re damaging your skin and offer suggestions to alleviate your pain!

1. Hot Water

This one should be an immediate priority. Everyone feels perfectly at ease in a hot, steamy shower. Falling water is relaxing, cathartic, serene. Showers wake us up in the morning and they put us at ease after a long day at work. But they’re also one of the fastest ways to completely strip away the natural oils that protect our skin, not to mention keep it feeling moist and looking healthy.

When you’re in the shower or taking a bath, keep the water temperature low. Lukewarm works for most people, but cold is even better. When a peasant in the Middle Ages wanted a bath, he jumped in a lake. Maybe he stood under a waterfall wondering why the powers-that-be wanted him to suffer. We may be more civilized these days, but sometimes the luxuries that result from our civilization are destroying our skin and our confidence in our appearance. Truth be told, the peasant was doing it right. He (possibly) had phenomenal, clean, healthy skin. And you can too. Be a peasant. Take cold showers.

2. Washing

That peasant probably didn’t stay in the water for too long (because it was frigid, icy death-water that might have even led him to question his gods), and you should probably follow his lead. Keep them short. Five minutes, ten at the very most. We know better than the peasant did, so we can be happy knowing our gods only want the best for our skin. Plus, standing in a cold shower is a great character-building exercise.

Peasants probably didn’t have access to great soaps. Which is perfectly fine, because they’re not necessary at all. When it comes to your skin, simple is better. Dry skin often lacks key nutrients and oils, which results in less water absorption. Try to find rinses or body washes (and moisturizers) that contain ceramides, which will help prevent your skin from becoming easily irritated. Avoid soap. And be gentle. You don’t need to be a Herculean beast in order to clean yourself. Take it easy on yourself.

3. Drying

Speaking of which, violently scraping a towel back and forth against your skin will destroy your natural oil barrier as fast as anything else. Are you noticing any patterns here? Your skin is delicate and must be protected at all costs if you want it to look pretty. When drying, gently pat the towel against wet areas. Damp skin is okay, because you’re about to lubricate it with a nice, uncomfortable layer of lotion, and locking in some of that moisture is a great idea.

4. Moisturizing and Exfoliating

After washing and drying, your skin will hold fewer oils and need help retaining moisture even if you washed and dried yourself correctly (I know, it’s like we’re just meant to be in pain all the time). This is why lotions come in handy. The best time to apply a moisturizer is directly after a shower. Look for brands that are recommended by dermatologists. They’re usually a little bit more expensive, but it’s an investment worth making. They keep your skin moisturized a lot longer than the stuff you wasted pennies on at the dollar store.

Also look for moisturizers that help exfoliate. People with preexisting conditions can have dry, flaky skin almost constantly. This means that your demon skin cells are multiplying at a rate that outpaces your body’s ability to exfoliate naturally. Exfoliating moisturizers will help you let go of that dead skin more quickly.

Now that we’ve covered the four major offenders when it comes to your dry skin, let’s talk about the five secondary factors that contribute to the dryness of your beautiful skin. On the next page: Climate!

Comments

4 thoughts on “Why Is My Skin So Dry? The 9 Main Causes and How To Get Relief For Dry Skin!”

  1. Hi Jeff,
    Looks like I’m a little late on this post, but what shots did you get for your allergies. I’ve had terrible allergies, (causing dry skin) for 4-5 years now. I have seen two allergists and tried everything from supplements to prescriptions and switched every household cleaner and lotion about 10 tens each but had no results. I still don’t know what my allergies is but my IGE is always hovering around 3000. If I can get a shot for allergies that I don’t know about, I am willing to do it! I already get blood taken every 3 months just to monitor the situation.
    If you have any other advice, I would really appreciate it.

  2. I moisturize immediately after I bathe. A good hour or two and I’m ashy like crazy. If I rub my hand over the ash it just comes off like I’m shedding. So every now and then when I bathe I use a bath brush to scrub my body as I bathe. It seems to help I just don’t understand why this is. This is new. Never use to happen. Matter of fact when I was younger even into adult years I never moisturized because I was NEVER ashy.

  3. I feel so terrible and insecure about my dry skin, looking at my friends with great glowing skin makes me feel like am an alien from another planet with horrible dry skin. Not only is my skin dry, i have scars from falling off bicycle and few flattened but dark scars on my legs from childhood. As if that’s not enough, my butts, upper part of my breasts and thighs are covered with stretch mark, i hardly wear shorts.
    My mom has this dry skin just like me, and no over the counter creams and lotions seems to work for me.
    Please help my insecurities ;(;(

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