5 Things You Can Do to Prevent Dry Skin

Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It serves a couple of functions like protection and excretion beyond its scope of aesthetics. That calls for some TLC when handling your skin to keep it from getting dehydrated. Here are five ways to ensure your skin remains plump without suffering from instances of dryness.

1.   Keep Your Skin Moisturized

The best way to keep your skin healthy and hydrated is to use moisturizer. Your hands, face, and feet are more prone to bouts of dryness than other parts of your body, so pay close attention to those. Moisturizer serves to lock moisture into your skin as well as keep certain illnesses such as eczema at bay.

But what if you already suffer from eczema? Well, don’t lose faith just yet. Eczema creams were invented for skin just like yours. The best eczema creams offer up to 12 hours of relief from that dry and itchy sensation while also protecting against future skin issues.

There are also a variety of eczema lotions out there if you fancy a lotion over a cream. The best lotions for eczema feature a mix of ingredients that include natural oils to offer relief from that scratchy feeling. The most prime lotions also come formulated with hyaluronic acid to add moisture to the skin. If you or someone you know suffers from eczema, then an eczema lotion could be the solution to offer immediate hydration and relief.

2.   Change Your Showering Habits

Admit it; hot showers are one of the most soothing feelings you’ll ever experience. The way the water flows out of the jets and strikes your skin is somewhat therapeutic. But that hot shower could be your skin’s worst adversary. Hot water can quickly dry out your skin if you’re not careful.

So, the best way to tackle the issue is to keep your shower sessions brief. How brief is brief? Well, a five to ten-minute shower should suffice. Anything beyond that and you’re dehydrating your skin.

Also, incorporate less scented soaps or shampoos into your shower regiment. Products that come with alcohol as an ingredient are a definite no go zone. Alcohol is a great dehydrating agent meaning it’ll suck the moisture right out of your skin. If you’re shaving, then do so while you’re still in the shower since your hairs are softer, making it less likely for your skin to get irritated.

3.   Drink Sufficient Amounts of Water

The human body consists of a sizeable percentage of water. The value lies somewhere between 60 and 70 percent. Your skin? Well, that comes in at 64% percent water.

That means that water constitutes about two-thirds of your skin. That also means that your water intake will have a direct impact on the health and state of your skin. Water not only serves to hydrate the skin but is also an essential medium through which your body flushes toxins out of your body. So keeping hydrated is paramount if you want to prevent dry skin.

There’s that magic number 8 that dieticians and nutritionists love to recommend saying you should drink at least eight glasses of water per day. As accurate as it may be, the value varies from person to person depending on their body mass index or BMI for short. In truth, it’s recommended that you drink between half an ounce to an ounce of water for each pound that you weigh. So, say you weigh 150 pounds, then that means you should be drinking 75 to 150 ounces of water per day, which equates to 2.2 liters to 4.4 liters each day.

4.   Stay Under Cover

No, this doesn’t suggest that you join the CIA and do a high profile stakeout. It essentially implies that you take the necessary measures to keep your skin protected, especially from the sun. In as much as it’s a giant life-giving ball of energy, the sun can do a number on your skin more so if your skin is left exposed.

The most important thing when it comes to mitigating the effects of the sun is using sunscreen. Sun damage is one of the primary causes of rough, dry, and wrinkled skin. So if you want to prevent damage, wear sunscreen that has a high enough Sun Protection Factor or SPF. SPF 30 sunscreen blocks out almost 97% of UVB radiation. SPF 50 offers 98% protection and SPF 100 blocks 99% of the sun’s UVB radiation.

And once those colder months swing around, dress in layers to prevent your body from overheating and sweating excessively. Excessive heat and sweat can irritate the skin. Also, use lip balm to keep your lips from cracking and cover your mouth with your scarf to keep the moisture-sucking cold breeze away from your lips.

5.   Keep Your Space Humid

Cold air is often dry air. That means that it drains the wetness from pretty much everything it touches. And that includes your skin. The thing with air is you can’t escape it since it’s everywhere.

Now, heating your home is a great way to keep warm, but remember that heat also removes moisture from the air. It almost seems like a lose-lose situation. But it’s not. You can keep the cold out and the warmth in, and the moisture locked in place all at once.

The trick lies in getting a humidifier. Humidifiers are a great way of replenishing the moisture in any room. And they’re pretty easy to use since they come with a little contraption known as a hygrometer. The hygrometer tracks the humidity levels allowing you to gauge and see where you’re at in terms of moisture levels. A level of 50 percent is a great place to aim for since it’s just enough moisture without making the room feel stuffy.

Dry skin can be a nightmare to try and manage, but with these tips, you might be able to get ahead of the problem. Wasn’t it Desiderius Erasmus who once said that prevention is better than cure. He was definitely onto something, wasn’t he?

Resources— Aurora Healthcare, Harvard Health, Jean Coutu