Dry Skin and how to avoid it

Article by Dieter Luske

Dry skin, also referred to as xerosis, is a common problem for many people. The skin requires moisture to maintain its smoothness and suppleness.
Dry skin may worsen during winter due to drier air, heating, and more time spent indoors. This can contribute to the skin drying out.

9 Steps to Prevent Dry Skin

Dry Skin can have many different causative factors; let’s have a look at some of the more obvious:

1. Fluid intake – Do you drink enough water? Even during wintertime? Make sure you drink enough – 6-8 glasses per day.

2. Do you dry out your skin by wearing excessively warm or tight clothing? Your skin needs to breathe; don’t wear anything too tight.

3. Washing and showering – Don’t use harsh ordinary soap, which will dry out your skin. Use pH-balanced cleansers, best if organic, with herbs and essential oils.

4. Diet – Did you know that essential fatty acids, which are another name for “oils”, are called that way because they are “essential”?
You do need to add oils into your diet, and you have to make sure you add the right kind of oils. Only use cold-pressed oils.  Make sure you add about 2 tablespoons of olive, flaxseed or similar oil to your diet.
Don’t use Industrial Seed & Vegetable Oils: Includes soybean, corn, cottonseed, canola, and heavily refined sunflower oils. Coconut Oil is one of the best oils to use, especially for dry skin. In fact, applying coconut oil to your dry skin may be all you need.
One more oil worth mentioning is “Hempseed Oil”, which is very good to use for dry skin, and so are Sesame Oil and Apricot Oil.

5. Omega Oil 3 oils – Salmon Oil in capsule form has long been used to treat dry skin and dry skin conditions such as eczema. Obviously, another dietary source is fish, especially cold-water fish like Salmon and Tuna, which are high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

6. Diet in general is an important factor in skin conditions. Too much fried and saturated fat can block pathways, leading to dry skin. For a more in-depth article about diet, click – Holistic Diet

7. Skincare – use the oils as discussed for dry skin, and generally use plenty of good-quality moisturisers, such as Cetaphil.

8. Supplements are very helpful for dry skin conditions.  We do live in a hectic world, and sometimes it is just easier to take supplements to counteract some of the side effects of our daily routine.  Typical supplements which help with the skin are once again the Oils, but now including the oil-soluble vitamins too, especially Vitamin E and A. Minerals are of vital importance as well, especially if you are dehydrated. You will lose minerals during dehydration. You can find good skin formulas that contain herbs like Horsetail for skin integrity and minerals like silica.

9. Exfoliating can help dry skin conditions as well. Dry brushing is very good and will also improve circulation, which in turn will help skin tone.
There can be many more reasons for dry skin, some of which are serious. Diabetics, for example, often experience dry skin, but even then, the above general guidelines will still be helpful.

Article brought to you by Dieter Luske for the Canungra Directory