Dermatologists Share Their 7 Best Dry Skin Remedies

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Did you know that some simple changes can soothe your dry skin?

Doing the same skin care routine all-year-round may not work well, when the humidity drops. Without making some changes in your skin care, dry air can make wrinkles and fine lines more noticeable. Dry skin can crack, itch, flake, and even bleed.

To help heal your dry skin, and also prevent its return, dermatologists recommend the following.

Top Tips by Dermatologists for Relieving Dry Skin:

1. Add Moisture into the Air

Use a humidifier. If you can check your current home heating system, check if you have a humidifier on the system, and whether it is working.

2. Shower Quickly

Long and hot showers feel great in the dead of winter, but they are not doing your skin any good. “The steaming water that is rising from your skin during and after taking a shower is literally your soft, and supple skin evaporating into thin air,” according to Deirdre Hooper, MD, of Audubon Dermatology in New Orleans.

Also, New York City-based dermatologist, Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, suggested limiting shower time to about 7 minutes maximum.

3. Turn Down Your Water Temperature

Together with shorter shower time, cooler water is important too, because hot water strips skin of its natural moisture. Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at Mount Sinai Hospital, Joshua Zeichner, MD, keeps his shower at the temperature of a warm pool.

A sign that the water is too hot? “If your bathroom mirror steams up while you are in the shower, the water is too hot,” according to Mona Gohara, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.

4. Apply Some Moisturizer, After Washing

Creams, ointments, and lotions (moisturizers) work by trapping the existing moisture in your skin. To trap this essential moisture, you need to apply a moisturizer within few minutes of:

  • Washing your Hands or Face
  • Drying off after a Bath or Shower
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5. Use Only Gentle and Unscented Skin Care Products

Some skin care products are too harsh for your dry, and sensitive skin. When your skin is dry, stop using:

  • Skin care products that contain fragrance, alcohol, retinoids, or alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA)
  • Deodorant soaps

Avoiding these products will help your skin to retain its natural oils.

6. Use Lip Balm

Choose a lip balm that is good on your lips. There are healing lip balms that can irritate your lips. If your lips sting or tingle after you apply the lip balm, switch to one that does not cause this reaction.

7. Wear Gloves

The hands are often the first place that one notice if yoy have dry skin. You can reduce dry, and raw skin by wearing gloves. Remember to put gloves on before you:

  • Go outdoors during Winter
  • Perform tasks that need you to get your hands wet
  • Get greases, chemicals, and other substances on your hands

Sources:
AAD.ORG
Total Beauty

Related Articles:
1. How to Avoid Dry Skin + Natural Remedies You Can Use
2. 5 Effective Home Remedies to Get Rid of Dead Skin Cells
3. How Dry Skin Brushing Can Help You Look and Feel Younger

photo credit: pixabay

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