It’s a terrible feeling: You feel like your skin is splitting apart or that it’s about to completely flake off. Lathering on moisturizer may help, but your skin never seems to have enough. You’re not alone – dry, itchy skin is a common ailment. Try these 10 easy tips to relieve some of the discomfort…
The adage “beauty is only skin deep” dates back as far as the 17th century and may be ironic in tone, but the desire for attractive, wrinkle-free skin is taken very seriously. This concern may explain in part why Americans spend billions of dollars each year on moisturizers and other skin treatments and cosmetics. Yet it's easy to forget the crucial role skin plays in maintaining health. Although only about one-tenth of an inch thick, your skin performs a number of essential functions, including protecting the rest of your body from viruses, bacteria and environmental threats, maintaining adequate hydration, and helping to regulate body temperature.
Ordinary dry skin usually isn't a serious condition, but it can be uncomfortable and unattractive. Most of the time, dry skin results from environmental and personal factors that can be wholly or partially controlled. Chronic or severe dry skin problems may require a visit to the dermatologist, but there’s a lot you can do on your own. Here are 10 tips to help prevent and manage dry, itchy skin.
1. Soak your skin with moisturizers.
Washing dry skin with soap and water is a good news-bad news situation: It removes dirt and grime, but it also washes away natural oils that protect the skin. “After bathing in tepid water, moisturize immediately to help trap water in the surface cells, then pat dry,” advises dermatologist Morgan P. O’Donoghue. ”This can alleviate 75% of dry skin problems.”
Moisturizers provide a seal over your skin to keep water from escaping. Thicker creams, rather than lotions, work best, such as Eucerin, Cetaphil and Lubriderm. An over-the-counter medication, such as Amlactin, can be used as well. You may also want to use cosmetics that contain moisturizers. If your skin is extremely dry, consider applying an oil, such as baby oil, while your skin is still moist. Oil has more staying power than moisturizers and prevents water evaporation from the surface of your skin.
2. Rub-a-dub-dub, don’t soak in the tub.
It's best to use your hands or a cleansing sponge on your face instead of a washcloth. Although a cloth can help remove (exfoliate) dead cells, it may be too irritating for very dry skin. “For most people, a daily bath or shower, or even one taken every other day, is enough to maintain good hygiene,” O’Donoghue says. Keep in mind that the longer you're in water, the more protective oils you lose. For that reason, O’Donoghue suggests limiting baths and showers to five minutes or less and using tepid, rather than hot, water.
Cleansing your face either morning or evening should be enough to remove an average day’s buildup of dirt and oil. If your skin doesn't feel fresh, try rinsing with cool water in the morning and using a cleanser only at night. Instead of tap water, use mineral water to freshen your face. And start the day with your own personal morning dew: Use a plant sprayer to mist your face with a few refreshing spritzes of mineral water.
3. Put down the soap.
It's best to use cleansing creams, gentle skin cleansers, or bath or shower gels with added moisturizers rather than harsh soap. “Use fragrance-free, non-detergent, neutral-pH products to cleanse your skin,” says Dr. Monica K. Bedi, a Florida dermatologist. Choose mild soaps such as Cetaphil, Aveeno, Neutrogena, Basis, or Dove. You might want to experiment with several brands until you find one that works best. Your skin should feel soft and smooth after cleansing, never tight or dry. Double-cleanse with a cream, leaving on a light, thin trace of it after the second cleansing. If your skin is so dry that it itches, apply cool compresses to the area.
To reduce inflammation, use a nonprescription hydrocortisone cream or ointment containing at least 1% hydrocortisone. Aloe has also been shown to be helpful, as well as applying a tepid water-oatmeal mixture to the irritated area.
4. Moisturize your house.
As a rule of thumb, keep your house between 68 and 75 degrees, and use a portable humidifier to maintain moisture levels at 40%-50%. Choose a humidifier that meets your budget and any special needs. Tabletop models usually moisturize the air in a single room and require frequent fillings, sometimes several times a day. They also need careful cleaning to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in the tank. The bedroom may be the best place for this type of humidifier – your skin will be hydrated as you sleep.
If you have severely dry skin or live in a climate that's dry year-round, you may want to look into installing a humidifier that's built into your forced air heating and cooling system. It’s a more costly option but could be worth it in the long run.
5. Wear skin-loving fabrics.
Natural fibers, such as cotton and silk, feel wonderful and allow your skin to breathe. And when you wash your clothes, Bedi recommends using fragrance-free detergents that won’t irritate your skin and skipping fabric softeners.
6. Run from the sun.
The sun is responsible for most of the damage done to the skin. Not only can too much of it lead to skin cancer, sun exposure causes dryness, wrinkles and even rashes and blisters. Apply sunscreen liberally to all exposed areas 30 minutes before every sun exposure, even on foggy or cloudy days. (Don't forget your ears, hands, and the back of your neck.) Reapply regularly.
Look for a UVA/UVB sunscreen with Parsol 1789, titanium oxide or zinc oxide, and with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Many moisturizers also contain sunscreen, which hydrates and protects your skin in one easy step. Avoid direct sun exposure, especially between noon and 3 p.m., but if you must be outside, cover up, wear a shady hat or carry a parasol.
7. You are what you eat.
A balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts is good for you both inside and out. Be sure to include yellow and orange vegetables and fruit, such as carrots, cantaloupes and apricots, which are rich in healthful antioxidants. If you don’t think you eat a balanced diet, include a daily multivitamin. Add unrefined, cold-pressed flaxseed oil (a good course of essential fatty acids) to salads and baked potatoes, or mix it into dishes that don’t require heating to high temperatures.
Increase your intake of low-fat foods, such as skim milk and cheese, natural plain yogurt and wheat germ. Cut down – or eliminate entirely – soft drinks, sugar, chocolate, potato chips, or other junk foods. Avoid alcohol and caffeine because they have a diuretic effect, causing the body and skin cells to lose fluids and important minerals.
8. Live a healthy lifestyle.
Don't smoke! In addition to its more obvious health risks, smoking damages the skin. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, including the tiny capillaries that feed the skin. This deprives skin of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to thrive. Also, be sure to get enough sleep, since that’s when skin cells renew themselves best. And don’t forget your daily workout: exercise boosts circulation and encourages blood flow to all parts of the body. Your skin, heart, lungs, bones and brain all benefit from regular exercise, which nourishes the skin from within.
9. Fight dry feet.
Low humidity depletes skin of its natural lipid layer, which prevents your skin from drying out. Put on moisturizer before you head outdoors, and try coating your feet in thick lotion and sleeping in cotton socks at night. For ultra dry skin, cover your feet in a creamy lotion, wrap them in Saran Wrap and pull on a pair of socks for a couple hours. Be sure to sit or lie down while the moisturizer soaks in, so you don’t slip and hurt yourself.
10. When self-care doesn’t solve your skin problems, seek medical treatment.
Dry skin usually responds well to self-care measures. However, both O’Donoghue and Bedi recommend that you seek the advice of a board-certified dermatologist if you have one or more of the following symptoms, as underlying causes could be diabetes, low thyroid condition, liver or kidney disease, or cancer, especially lymphoma:
- Your skin doesn't improve in spite of your best efforts
- Dryness and itching are severe enough to interfere with sleeping
- You have open sores or infections from scratching
- You have large areas of scaling or peeling skin
