{"id":32005,"date":"2018-01-13T22:24:46","date_gmt":"2018-01-13T19:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/?p=32005"},"modified":"2018-01-13T22:24:46","modified_gmt":"2018-01-13T19:24:46","slug":"dry-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/dry-skin\/","title":{"rendered":"Dry Skin: Causes, Symptoms and Some Excellent Home Remedies to Try"},"content":{"rendered":"
It is that time of year again where we crank up the central heating, add more wood to the fire and layer up on clothes during these cold winter months. Whilst we feel warm and cozy, we are causing havoc with our dry skin with this artificial heat.<\/p>\n
Normal skin has a thin layer of fatty substances, called lipids. These lipids retain the moisture and ensure the skin stays soft and limber. We experience dry skin from one of two ways, either from the environment (central heating<\/em>) or from something we do to our skin (over-exfoliating for example<\/em>).<\/p>\n Both of these ways are removing that layer of fatty substance, which leaves our skin unprotected against the elements<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The most common areas of the body to experience dry skin are on the arms, hands, lower legs, and abdomen and of course the face.<\/p>\n During winter, the air is a lot dryer both naturally and down to our central heating systems. This dry air draws the moisture out of the skin and many refer to dry skin during winter as the winter itch. We tend to enjoy a hot bath or shower for longer during the winter months and this will also dry out your already sensitive skin.<\/p>\n Many of the popular brands of soap, shower gels, and shampoos on the market today contain harsh chemicals that are designed to remove oil from the skin. Those of us who suffer from oily facial skin, are always looking for products that will remove the oily glow.<\/p>\n These products will strip the moisture from your skin<\/a> as well as of course the oil. This leaves the skin open to the elements that will dry it further.<\/p>\n If you are a regular swimmer, you may notice your skin is always dry. Especially if you take a break and then go back to it, you might feel it particularly tight after that first swim. This is because of the chlorine used in swimming pools.<\/p>\n You will be pleased to hear that most dry skin only occurs in winter and clears up as we approach spring. However, there are some symptoms<\/a> to look out for:<\/p>\n I know, am I mad?\u00a0 It’s January and particularly chilly here in Europe, but a piping hot shower will further dry out and irritate your dry skin. Turn the temperature down so it’s a lukewarm shower and switch to a natural, more gentle soap to wash with and avoid anything heavily scented.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to exfoliate even if you suffer from dry skin<\/strong>, but it\u2019s important to not do it too often. You should only need to exfoliate between 1-3 times a week. We are becoming more aware of how bad the beads that some brands use are for the environment.<\/p>\n At the same time, the natural ones on the market can be very expensive, so below is a quick homemade recipe for a gentle, natural exfoliate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Coconut body scrub<\/strong><\/p>\n Mix the ingredients together and store in a dry jar. Rub onto the skin in the skin when wet, massage and then rinse.<\/p>\n Whatever your routine is for moisturizing your skin, try and adapt it so you do it right after a shower or bath whilst the skin is damp, not wet.\u00a0 By doing so you are locking in the moisture from the cream with the warm, damp skin.<\/p>\nWhat are the symptoms of dry skin?<\/h3>\n
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Below are some well-tested home remedies:<\/h3>\n
1. Bypass the hot shower<\/h4>\n
2. Use a natural exfoliate (in moderation<\/em>)<\/h4>\n
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3. Moisturise the skin whilst it’s damp<\/h4>\n
4. Soothe itchy skin with milk<\/h4>\n