Whether your dry skin is caused by elemental factors, an underlying skin condition, the lack of a good skincare routine, or the simple nature of aging, chances are that it's causing you some discomfort and itching at the very least. Thankfully, many people can leverage a wide range of great home remedies and fundamental lifestyle changes to overcome their issues with dry skin without needing to invest a lot of time or money into the process!
Below, our team of health and beauty experts from Soteri Skin will explore everything you need to know about these great home remedies and fundamental lifestyle changes to help treat and prevent dry skin.
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1. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is well known for relieving things like sunburns. Still, it may also help reduce dry skin, according to a study from 2003. Cover your dry skin areas with aloe vera gel and allow it to soak into the skin for a few hours- or even overnight- to start seeing great results.
2. Coconut Oil
Research indicates that coconut oil is a safe and effective dry skin treatment that can significantly improve skin hydration while increasing the number of lipids on the skin's surface. Coconut also contains fatty acids that provide moisturizing properties and helps make skin smoother. Coconut oil is one of the ingredients in our pH Correcting Barrier Cream, GIMME MORE, which locks in your skin’s optimal pH, while soothing angry skin for at least 12 full hours.
3. Oatmeal Bath
Oatmeal is a natural ingredient known to help treat dry skin. It also possesses a range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Add some powdered oatmeal into your bath, or use some creams containing oatmeal to help treat your dry skin.
Related: How to Repair and Restore a Damaged Skin Barrier
4. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly, or mineral oil, is a commonly used moisturizer known to help improve people's skin barriers and keep the skin from drying out, primarily when caused by aging. Petroleum jelly also helps heal dry patches of irritated skin.
5. Sunflower Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil can improve skin hydration when used as a moisturizer. It's also non-irritating and contains a selection of beneficial compounds for the skin, including vitamin E, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and sesamol. Sunflower seed oil is one of the ingredients in both GIMME MORE, and BALANCING ACT both available at Soteri Skin.
6. Antioxidants and Omega-3s
Dry skin typically indicates its cells are being damaged faster than the body can repair them. Thankfully, there is a range of foods that can improve the overall health of your skin. Some foods include peas, beans, blueberries, carrots, tomatoes, and lentils, which all contain antioxidants. Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, can also improve skin health.
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7. Change Your Shower Temperature
Did you know that your regular hot showers may scald your skin and contribute to its excessive dryness? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you may be able to significantly reduce your skin dryness by taking shorter showers that are just warm instead of hot.
8. Wear Gloves
The first place people often notice dry skin is on their hands, and wearing gloves can help reduce the chances of your hands drying out, especially during the winter. Be sure to wear gloves before going outside in the cold, do tasks that get your hands wet, or interact with chemicals, gasses, or other substances.
9. Cover Up to Reduce Weather Exposure
This suggestion goes hand-in-hand with the one above about protecting your hands from the elements by wearing gloves. The truth is that you should always cover up sufficiently to help reduce your skin's exposure to the weather, especially when it comes to intense wind and sunshine. Reducing your skin's exposure to the elements will help it maintain moisture and prevent dryness.
10. After Washing, Apply Moisturizer Immediately
Aside from leveraging all of the above, our experts at Soteri Skin also recommend leveraging a top-quality moisturizer as the final touch to help treat and prevent dry skin. After washing, apply moisturizer to your skin while paying particular attention to your driest areas. Consider trying our specially formulated products, BALANCING ACT and GIMME MORE, which are specifically designed to help moisturize, heal, and restore your skin.
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Prevention
Aside from leveraging the methods above to treat dry skin, there is also a wide range of other great prevention methods you can use to avoid drying your skin out in the first place. Some of the best prevention methods for dry skin include;
- Not scratching irritated skin
- Avoiding the use of excessive air conditioning
- Not showering too often
- Avoiding clothes that rub the skin
- Not sitting close to the direct heat from a heater or fire
- Not going outside when there is lots of sun or wind exposure
When to See a Doctor
Even when utilizing the various treatment and prevention methods discussed above, sometimes dry skin can persist and become even more of a problem, especially if someone has an underlying skin condition. If home remedies and regular moisturizer usage don't treat your dry skin, consider speaking to a doctor as soon as possible to prevent developing more severe issues, including red patches, bleeding, and bacterial infections.
Before You Go
If you need to go to the doctor to find a more intense solution for your dry skin, be sure to dress in loose-fitting clothes so you can show them your most problematic dry skin areas and make it easier for them to look for any underlying skin conditions. Also, bring a list of the various products and home treatments you've tried, so your doctors can understand what hasn't already worked for you.
Give Your Skin the Moisture it Needs With Soteri Skin!
Our skincare and wellness experts from Soteri Skin hope that our above guide helps you locate an easy and convenient home treatments, but Soteri Skin provides targeted and effective treatment which corrects pH. Correcting pH helps your skin naturally retain moisture more effectively, which will amplify the results of these other remedies. Please also consider looking at our wide selection of other fantastic resources to learn about other critical skin care topics.
Ready to revolutionize your skincare routine? Our experts at Soteri Skin are here to help!