Best Dry Skin Products

What is Dry Skin?  It is the most common of skin problems. Many factors can contribute to dry skin including sun exposure, low humidity, soaps, and age. Often dry skin is a temporary problem stemming from dry weather. People who have seasonal worn out skin have to deal with an array of problems. Some people do, however, have problems with dry skin all year long with no connection to the season.

Showering too frequently and using too warm of water when showering can also cause dry skin. Dry skin can take a shrunken or dehydrated appearance. Rough looking skin is also common among dry skin sufferers. Itching, flaking, redness, and even deep cracks are also common effects of dry skin. Some of the more severe cases require the assistance of a dermatologist but most can be treated at home through diet and proper skin care.

What Causes Dry Skin?

It is a problem that everyone faces at one point or another through life. Often a quick look at the cause of dry skin can help you to prevent it from returning. Common risk factors include:

• Age. Changes in skin happen over time. Oil production often decreases with age.
• Bathing. Taking baths and showers that are too long or too hot can remove protective oils your skin needs for moisture. Frequent hand washing can cause sore, red, chapped dry skin on the hands also.
• Dehydration. Dry skin is a lack of water in the skin. If you aren't drinking enough you will have dry skin. One of the most important things you can do for overall health is drink eight glasses of water a day.
• Gender. Menopause increases dry skin in women.
• Health. General health issues affect the body's ability to care for the skin. Diseases such as diabetes can increase chances you will have to deal with dry skin.
• Sun exposure. Sun dries your skin and causes damage to the skin increasing dry skin problems.

Dry skin can lead to other problems that require the assistance of a medical professional, usually a dermatologist. Common conditions are Eczema (redness, cracking, and inflammation) and Cellulitis (inflammation within skin layers from a bacterial infection). Treating dry skin when it first starts, before serious complications happen, is best.

How Can I Prevent Dry Skin?

You can prevent dry skin by decreasing the time you are in the shower or bath tub. Only shower once daily and keep that under 15 minutes. This keeps your body's natural oils available for protection. When you cleanse your skin use gentle cleansers with moisturizers added. Several soaps on the market have moisturizers in then such as Olay, Neutrogena, and Dove products.

If soap is too harsh for your skin you can use cleansers that are for the disorder, such as Cetaphil and Aveeno.  Deodorant and antibacterial soaps are notorious for causing flaking. When you are washing your skin, be gentle and try not to irritate or damage your skin.  When drying off after showering you shouldn't rub your skin, instead blot the water off with a towel.

Moisturizers

Moisturizers are simply a barrier you place between your skin and elements in the world that holds water in your skin tissues. Bathing removes the natural oils from your skin. Moisturizers replace these to help you avoid dry skin. You should apply moisturizers after cleansing your skin and again throughout the day as needed. Applying moisturizers to damp skin helps reduce dry skin as well.

Combinations of moisturizing creams and sunscreen aren't usually as effective together as using a separate product for each function.  It is usually best to find a good moisturizer separate from your sunscreen protection.

Choosing the right moisturizer is easier if you understand how the different moisturizers on the market work. It is possible to pay any where from a dollar to 500 times that on moisturizers. With such a wide range of products available knowing what you are looking for is important.

The best products for dry skin include a combination of these ingredients:

• Aloe. An Emollient extracted from leaves of the aloe vera plant that help to remove dead cells and lock in water to moisturize skin.
• Alpha Hydroxy Acids. Assist in exfoliation.
• Antioxidants. Vitamins A, C, and E are a few antioxidants that help protect cell membranes and fatty tissues and repair damage caused by air pollutants and UV rays.
• Dimethicone. A silicone that protects and lubricates skin.
• Emollients. Help to replace lipids to lubricate skin. An emollient is a mixture of oil and water making a richer, heavier moisturizer than other types of moisturizers.
• Glycerin. A natural by-product of the soap-making process that attracts water to your skin.
• Humectants. Substances that attract water. These tend to work better in where it is humid.
• Rosehip seed oil. Studies have shown this oil to repair dry skin as well as decreasing wrinkles and other imperfections.
• Vitamin A. Vitamin A or retinoic acid helps to keep pores clear and improves sun damage.

The best product for your dry skin is truly up to you and your requirements. Look for a product that has a fragrance you like and that makes your skin feel the way you want it to. Some people don't like moisturizers that feel greasy to them. Some products are made to be used once daily and other products are made to be used multiple times throughout the day. 

You should be able to feel a benefit when you first use your new moisturizer. If you have really dry skin it may take longer. When you try a new moisturizer it may take up to a couple weeks to get good results.

Drinking enough fluids is important for your skin and overall health. Only wash your face once daily. Don't use harsh cleansers. Keep your shower temperatures down and limit showers to 15 minutes of less. If you are prone to dry skin, or you are getting older, you should remember to moisturize your skin daily. These simple preventative measures can make all the difference when it comes to your skin.