Dry Skin Care: 8 Tips to End Dry Skin

Dealing with dry skin can be a constant strugggle. During the winter months dry skin itches and feels tight. In the summer, dryness may not be as severe, but dry skin does'nt have a radiant healthy appearance. You can apply lotions, but moisture from lotions usually disappears fast, leaving skin as dry as before. Or, after application of petroleum based products, skin feels sticky instead of moisturized. However, by using these dry skin care tips, you will be rewarded with the soft, glowing skin you have always wanted.

Dry skin is most often the result of moisture imbalance. Solving this problem by supplying skin with moisture in a form that can be absorbed by dry, thirsty skin, and providing a moisture barrier that helps to prevent moisture loss goes a long way towards eliminating the symptoms of dry skin.

1. Drink water, water, and more water. Water is essential for healthy moisture balance. Get serious about drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day and your skin will reap major health and beauty rewards. Water plumps up dehydrated skin cells, and as a result, skin texture looks softer and smoother.

2. Cut back on long hot baths and showers. We all know how marvelous long soaks in a hot bath, or taking hot showers feel, but hot water removes precious oils from your skin. Warm water is best, and try not to bathe/shower for more than 5 minutes.

3. Use soaps with natural ingredients. These soaps are made with botanical oils and other natural ingredients like oatmeal, aloe vera, and milk. These soaps provide gentle but effective cleansing and are wonderful for dry skin care. Natural soaps include bar and liquid soaps and are made from a variety of oils including, olive, soybean, canola, sunflower, shea butter, jojoba and *coconut.

* A note on coconut oil as an ingredient in natural soaps. Natural soaps often include coconut oil to produce rich, creamy lather. But, if coconut oil concentration is high, the soap will be too drying for an already dry skin. When shopping for natural soaps for dry skin care, choose soaps with oils other than coconut oil listed as the first ingredient. This indicates the percentage of coconut oil in the soap is lower, and the soap will lather well but will not be as drying as a soap with a high coconut oil content, indicated by coconut oil being listed at the beginning of the ingredients list.

4. Give your body a scrub. Buff your skin once or twice a week with a loofah, mesh sponge, or other scrubbing tool to remove dead skin cells and expose softer, new skin cells. Skin absorbs moisturizers more effectively after an exfoliation treatement, and scrubbing also increases circulation, which gives your skin a healthy glow. A natural foaming sugar scrub is also an excellent dry skin care treatment especially for feet, hands and face (sugar scrubs are a great choice for weekly facials).

5. Pat your skin dry gently with a towel after bathing or showering rather than rubbing. Brisk rubbing overdries skin. You want a light "cushion" of moisture to remain on your skin before applying moisturizer.

6. Apply moisturizer while skin is still damp to help seal in moisture. Natural "buttery" creams like shea butter, and olive oil body butters are best for sealing in moisture and conditioning dry skin. Petroleum and mineral oil are unable to be absorbed by the skin. These oils remain on top of skin and can clog pores. For the most effective dry skin care moisturizers, products made with natural botanical ingredients are best.

7. Don't scratch itchy skin. Try misting skin with floral water, (hydrosol) such as rose or lavender water and immediately apply a rich, buttery moisturizer to the misted area and massage into skin. You will be amazed at how fast the itching stops!

8. Increase the humidity in your home, especially your bedroom with a humidifier, or bowls filled with water. When using bowls of water, be sure to add more water to the bowls as it evaporates, and clean and refill bowls with fresh water every few days to prevent mold and bacteria growth.

These easy dry skin care tips will end the problem of dry skin and allow you to enjoy the natural beauty of soft, glowing, healthy skin.