Dry skin does not produce enough moisture of its own; therefore the main aim of dry skin skin care is to increase the hydration of ones skin. Dry skin is identified by scaling or flaking of the body. Dry skin usually has small pores and usually looks dull and feels tight. To the touch, dry skin can feel rough. It has the tendency to form wrinkles quite easily, laugh lines and fine lines because it lacks suppleness. Dry skin is usually sensitive to weather elements.

Some of the places in the body that are susceptible to dry skin mostly include the shins, face, feet, elbows and hands. Some people are genetically prone to have dry skin. Those who do not naturally have dry skin can get dry skin particularly during the winter season. This is because moisture is lost from the body when one switches from the dry indoor air to the harsh windy outdoors. Also, elderly people tend to have dry skin due to the aging process. It is important to have good dry skin care because extreme dryness of the skin can lead to dermatitis, which is a severe inflammation of the skin.

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure that you take care of your dry skin. The first step is not to use commercial products which have mineral oils and petroleum product as their main ingredients. You should also reduce the amount of chemicals which come into contact with your skin in your everyday life. For instance the kind of dish soap you use, bleach, shampoo, antibacterial soap among others. Since it is virtually impossible to avoid using these chemicals in everyday life, it will be advisable for you to use gloves when handling chemicals to prevent moisture loss to your skin. In fact, most chemical manufacturers usually recommend that you wear gloves when handling the chemicals.

Creams and lotions can be used. Some of the best dry skin care products to use are those that have hypoallergenic ingredients. Again, you can choose to use shea butter, cocoa butter and virgin coconut oil. This is because these products contain the essential vitamins, protein and minerals which are essential for dry skin.

In addition, skin care for dry skin involves limiting the amount of time you spend bathing or showering to not more than 10 minutes in a day. When you are showering or taking a bath, use moisturized products such as moisturized soap and apply a moisturized hand and body lotion immediately after bathing or washing your hands. Because dry skin tends to intensify during winter months, it is recommended that you use heavy ointments during winter and lighter ointments in summer.

Moisturizers are a good way to deal with dry skin since they help to keep your skin moist. However, some dermatologists argue that moisturizers are not the best solution since they moisten the skin which results in the body reducing the amount of moisture the body produces naturally in the long run. Again, moisturizers do not prevent the skin from absorbing harmful chemicals.  Moisturizers are oil based or made from lanolin. This makes it easy for them to be washed off when one comes into contact with water or washes their hands. This means that the best way to deal with dry skin is to use shielding lotions which prevent the body from losing moisture while at the same providing additional moisture for the skin.

You face is especially delicate; therefore the dry skin care product you use should not be too harsh. Exfoliating your skin will help to get rid of dry dead skin, which will give your skin a healthy appearance. Exfoliating helps moisturizers and hand and body lotions to work more effectively on dry skin. The type of cleanser you use should enhance moisturizing of your skin. For instance thick milk cleansers.

Naturally, dry skin care can be undertaken by ensuring that one takes the right nutrition and gets proper rest. You should ensure that you eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetable. Also exercising and getting the right amount of sleep will ensure that your skin is properly taken care of. Taking lots of waters will help to keep your skin hydrated and well moisturized as well as remove toxins from your body. The recommended amount of water is at least 8 glasses of water in a day. When you are going out, apply sun block which helps to reduce the amount of water loss in your body. You should use sunscreen even during winter since there are still Ultraviolet rays. Ensure that your sunscreen blocks both kinds of UV rays-UVA and UVB.

One of the no no’s when it comes to dry skin care is using tap water. This is because tap water usually has chemicals and minerals such as chlorine, fluorine which is harmful for dry skin.