No one likes dry skin. Not only is the flaking, itchiness, and redness uncomfortable and sometimes even painful, but it can also be unsightly and embarrassing — especially when it’s in a highly-noticeable area, like on your face or hands. Fortunately, there are a number of effective steps you can take to relieve dry skin. Let’s take a look.
5 Tips for Effective Dry Skin Relief
Stay hydrated.
Avoiding dry skin starts from the inside. In other words, the more water and hydrating liquids you take into your body, the more likely it will be that your skin stays hydrated. Every day, you should drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water (or other qualifying liquids).
Of course, water is the best way to consume your daily liquids. Whether it’s flat or sparkling, it makes no difference. Carrying a water bottle around with you everywhere you go is the best way to keep yourself on top of your water intake. Use a bottle with measurements on the side (or measure how much it holds with a measuring cup) so that you know how much you’ve had so far.
If water’s not your style, keep in mind you can also count low-sugar juices, milk, and decaffeinated tea and coffee for your daily liquid intake. Try to avoid soda and sugary juices and sports drinks, caffeinated drinks, and alcoholic drinks.
Try CBD oil.
Many people use CBD oil as an internal remedy, but externally, it can be highly useful as well. Several studies have found CBD oil to be effective for a wide range of skin irritations, including dry, flaky skin.
Most Boston dispensary locations carry skin care products that contain CBD oil. Speak to the staff about what product will work best for your situation, as each product is usually meant to be used on a different part of the body (face, lips, trunk and extremities, feet, etc.).
CBD oil products for the skin usually come in the form of oils, balms, sticks, or lotions. When sold in oil form, the product can usually be used alone or added to your favorite moisturizer.
Purchase a humidifier.
Especially if dry skin is bothering you in the winter months, a humidifier may be the answer to your relief.
Humidifiers are compact devices that slowly add moisture to the air in the form of vapor. Some are made for humidifying an entire room while other desktop humidifiers only humidify a small area.
To use a humidifier, you must add water to the reservoir daily (or nightly, depending on your use schedule). From there, you can turn the dials up or down to dictate how much water vapor is released at a time. Be sure to clean and dry your humidifier regularly to prevent the buildup of mold and algae.
Avoid ultra-hot showers.
“Avoid hot showers?!”
We get it. The idea of taking a cold or lukewarm shower isn’t very enticing. Still, the truth is that super-hot water is notorious for stripping your skin of its moisture. So, for this reason, it’s better to take warm to warm-hot showers and baths if you can stand it. And trust us! You’ll notice a difference in just a few weeks.
Pat, don’t rub dry, after a shower or bath.
Once you’re finished with a shower or bath, be sure to pat your skin dry, or better yet: let yourself air-dry. Agitating your skin with the rough rub of a towel can make dry and flaky skin worse.
Basically, don’t aim to absorb every last drop of water off your skin with a towel after you get out of the bath. Instead, your aim should simply be to get the excess droplets off so that you’re not dripping onto the floor. The rest can air-dry.
If you don’t like the idea of being slightly wet for a while, consider purchasing a terry cloth (towel-like) robe. Then, simply slip that on after your shower or bath and let the fibers slowly absorb the water off your skin as you finish getting your hair or makeup ready.
Investigating Underlying Causes of Dry Skin
In some situations, dry skin may be the effect of an underlying medical condition. For example, diabetes, hypothyroidism, chronic eczema, and HIV all list dry skin as a symptom. Being pregnant is also notorious for causing flaky, dry skin as well.
In all of these cases, you’ll have additional symptoms that coincide with the condition in question. Therefore, it’s usually safe to say that if your only symptom is mild dry skin, the tips above can be your first line of defense.
In the event that these tips don’t work for you or that you start to notice additional symptoms that cause worry, however, always see your doctor for a professional checkup and diagnosis.
