As you grow old, your sweat glands don't produce as much sebum or sweat. This results in dry skin ad itchiness. The areas that become ...
As you grow old, your sweat glands don't produce as much sebum or sweat. This results in dry skin ad itchiness. The areas that become dry fast are your legs and arms , especially your elbow region and your face. In medical language, this is known as 'xerosis'
Dry skin: img
Dry skin is caused when the skin is incapable of secreting sebum and sweat to moisturize the skin. It is also a result of extremely dry weather and sometimes skin problems like eczema etc.
The skin is composed of glands called as the sebaceous glands. These are responsible for secreting oil and sweat . When they are working in a good condition, your face and body is well moisturized and hydrated. However, their malfunction leads to dry, scaly an itchy skin. Also, the skin looses its glow and you notice that it becomes itchy and wrinkles start to develop.
The people susceptible to dryness skin are:
- People living in dry areas.
- Skin glands dry up
- excessive washing of hands and face with harsh soap.
- Old people because the elasticity and moisture decreases as you grow old.
Type of dry skin:
Dry skin is mostly minor and majorly related to climate and products applied on the face. Therefore, dry skin is worse in winters or when you use harsh soap on your face.
However, there are also some severe cases that can cause dryness in skin. They are some skin infections which along with itchiness and dryness of the skin cause much more like redness and rashes.
Here are some types of dry skin: imgs of all types
Contact dermatitis:
As the name indicates, this occurs when some allergen comes in contact with your skin. It causes allergic reaction which leads to dry, itchy, red skin and skin rash. Some allergens include fake jewelry made out of nickel, certain detergents, cosmetic substances etc.
Eczema:
It causes red, bumpy, itchy patches on the skin along with extremely dry skin. In severe conditions, cracking also occurs, which can lead to skin infections too. Allergic substances that can cause contact dermatitis make eczema worse.
Seborrheic dermatitis:
This condition causes dry flaky skin in the face, navel and inside the creases of limbs and groin. On head it causes dandruff and in babies, it is known as cradle cap. When yeast grows on the skin, it leads to seborrheic dermatitis.
Athlete's foot:
It is caused due to fungal infection in the foot area. This is usually a ringworm infection. You can get flaky skin in the foot area in athlete's foot due to dryness.
Causes of dry skin:
Age:
As you grow older, the sebaceous glands become weak and dry up. Therefore it leads to wrinkles on the skin, loss of fat and oil from the skin.
Climate:
If the climate becomes dry especially in winters, it leads to dryness of skin. The sebaceous glands need some time to adjust with the change in weather. Moreover, decrease in humidity leads to loss of moisture from the skin.
Infections:
As we have seen in the types mentioned above, there are numerous skin infections that lead to dry skin. Moreover, kidney diseases and diabetes are also responsible for skin disease.
Home remedies to get rid of dry skin:
Aloe Vera gel for dryness: img
Aloe Vera gel has been used for ages for its activity on the skin and scalp. It also has a cooling effect, moisturizing effect and soothes your skin. The gel also has the following properties:
antibacterial
antimicrobial
immune boosting activity
wound healing .
The anti bacterial and anti microbial effects helps reduce dryness associated with eczema.
Procedure:
Take a coin size amount of aloe Vera gel on your hands and apply directly over your inflamed, dryness and scaly skin .
Aloe Vera gel is easily available anywhere . Try not to take aloe gel with the following additives: Alcohol, fragrances, preservatives and artificial colors.
You should start with a small amount of gel. Sometimes, aloe Vera gel produces a burning sensation on the skin. However, it is safest for children . It has no side effects .
Apple cider vinegar(ACV ) img
Apple cider vinegar is used for almost all conditions, including for skin conditions. However, you should be careful with the concentration as it may cause damage to the skin. There is no research on its effectivity . However, it could help in treatment of eczema associated dry skin in the following way:
It balances skin acidity:
We know that our skin is acidic in nature. However, people with eczema have skin with low acidity. This weakens the skins defense system. Hence , to restore the lost acidity, we can use dilute ACV. Be sure to use dilute vinegar as strong vinegar will cause more irritation than usual.
In contrast, the soaps are having basic nature. So it will disrupt the acidic nature of the skin. Hence, it is self explanatory why basic soaps and detergents can trigger eczema.
Anti bacterial:
ACV has antibacterial effect on the skin. It has shown to kill E.coli bacteria. Hence , it may help to reduce skin infections that may occur due to cracks in the skin.
Procedure:
Dilute 1 tbsp. of ACV in 1 cup warm water. Dip a cotton in this and apply it on the eczema flares. Cover the dressing in cotton fabric and keep it for 3 hours. You can also add 2 cups of ACV to a bucket of water and have a bath .
Moisturize immediately after the bath.
Colloidal oatmeal for dry skin: img
Colloidal oatmeal is prepared by boiling ground oatmeal as it has skin healing property. The colloidal oatmeal has anti-inflammatory and anti oxidant property. It improves dry skin as it fights skin dryness, scaling , roughness and itch intensity. Use colloidal oatmeal in your bath . Choose a variety of colloidal oatmeal powder which has no fragrance and additives. It is safe for all age groups but people allergic to oats should avoid it.
Bathing everyday:
People with eczema should have a bath everyday to avoid infections from spreading to the entire body. Hygiene is very important and carelessness in the same will lead to aggravation of symptoms.
You should follow these to ease skin dryness:
Avoid highly basic , fragrance containing soaps.
Moisturize without fail after bathing.
Do not scrub.
However, you should not bathe more than necessary. Babies and children living in temperate climates should bathe only twice a week.
Coconut oil: img
coconut oil is very good in saturated fatty acids. It soothes the itching of skin in dry skin. Virgin coconut oil also fights inflammation and heals the skin.
Apply coconut oil directly on the skin and flares. You can use it before or after the bath to ease inflammation and to moisturize.
However, it is not suggested for dry skin in people having allergy to coconut.
Honey: img
Honey is packed with nutrients . It eases inflammation and heals wounds . Moreover it has been used for centuries. Honey can help heal wounds and also boosts immune function .It is a best moisturizer for dry skin.
Tea tree oil: img
In 2013 review , tea tree oil was identified as anti inflammatory, anti bacterial and wound healing . Hence it is the best home remedy for dry skin associated with eczema . This means that it treats inflammation and dryness.
Mix tea tree oil with coconut oil and apply on the skin.
Moisturize: img
Use moisturizer for your skin daily. Moisturizer should be mild and should have little to no fragrance. Especially in winters, you should moisturize your skin daily.
Yogurt for dry skin : img
Yogurt is one of the best home remedy for dry skin. The main ingredient that helps is the lactic acid. It glows the skin and removes tan from the skin. Hence makes the skin visibly bright and fair.
You can use yogurt in the following way:
Yogurt is mixed with honey . You can apply this mask on dry skin and you will notice that your skin is moisturized.
Cucumber and curd face mask for dry skin: img
Cucumber has naturally cooling and soothing effect on the skin . You can use cucumber to lighten the skin and hydrate it. This makes the face skin look glowing and dryness free. Cucumber is the best facemask for dry skin.
You can make this mask in the following:
Take half a cucumber and grate it all . Squeeze the grating or add directly to one tbsp. of curd . Then apply it on the face and keep it on for 20 mins . Wash it off with clean and cool water.
Gram flour for dry skin : img
Gram flour is the best remedy available for making the skin hydrated and getting rid of dryness. It has been used in India from ages for skin care .
You can use gram flour in the following way :
Just add 3 tbsp. of gram flour to just enough milk to make paste . Apply this paste on the face in the form of a mask. Let it dry and then wash away with lukewarm water.
Extra Tips :
These home remedies will ease you with dry skin . Moreover, if you incorporate these simple tips in your life , you will experience relief and the condition might improve too.
- Use warm water for bathing.
- Avoid soaps that are very basic . Try natural oil soaps made from coconut oil .
- Wash your clothes daily. Use detergent which has very less fragrance and which is very mild. Try using detergent free cleanser.
- Avoid exposing your skin to strong heating sources like furnace or fireplace as it dehydrates the skin.
- Wrap yourself up in cold or windy weather with a sweater or overcoat.
Keywords:
Dry skin
Dry skin home remedies
best moisturizer for dry skin
dry itchy skin
.jpg)
COMMENTS