Common Factors Contributing to Dry Skin

by Gregg Hall

Weather can be one of your skin's worst enemies, especially during the winter season. As we go through this dilemma, we should remember that there are numerous factors aside from the one mentioned above which put your skin to the normal condition of wear and tear.

Effective skin care and treatment are way to keeping your skin younger-looking, supple and full of moisture. The purpose of putting yourself to an effective skin regimen is to minimize the incorrect habits of skin treatment and the factors that injure the skin and causes irreversible damage.

Dermatologists use the term "xerosis" to describe dry skin. In more severe cases, skin moisture is nearly absent thereby resulting to characteristic cracking, scaling and itching called pruritus.

The above conditions are brought about by the skin lacking the required moisture to prevent the aforementioned results. The skin needs a relative amount of moisture to maintain smooth or suppleness, flexibility and protection.

If the skin is a not sufficiently moisturized, harmful UV rays get into the skin easily and travel all the way down the delicate subcutaneous tissue and subsequently make you skin vulnerable to damage.

In order to avoid the many activities that jeopardize your skin's health, it is important to identify the many factors which results to the unwanted condition.

Avoid Using Soaps with Harsh Ingredients - Regular soaps such as anti-bacterial and deodorant soaps, which are non-moisturizing, dehydrate the skin and rob your integument with essential oils which locks moisture from your body.

Products containing alcohols also dissolve skin lipids and cause the skin's moisture to evaporate resulting to skin dryness. Water and oil-based products are perfect for your skin. Use Dove Olay and other soap substitutes available at your local drugstore.

Washing with Hot Water - Although water is an effective moisturizing agent, it also strips your skin with valuable oils or lipids which are responsible for retaining moisture from your skin.

Frequent bathing, especially with hot water, removes valuable oils and exposes your skin to infections by destroying your body's first main line of defense.

Once this is lost, your skin will become more prone to organic attacks by pathogens and sometimes cause irreversible damage to your skin.

If you are used to bathing with hot water and cannot resist the temptation, try replacing it with lukewarm water to lessen the effect of skin dryness.

Frequent Washing - Frequent washing and bathing, usually more than once a day depletes your body with moisture and natural oils. Also, limit your bathing time within 15 minutes.

Weather - Winter is one major factor in the development of a dry skin. The use of humidifier, in most cases, solves the problem of the effect of the climate. It compensates for the insufficient humidity needed for the preservation of skin moisture.

This is because cold air cannot afford to hold adequate amount of water to serve skin's moisture demands. Warm air on the other hand holds enough humidity to keep the skin moisturized at a certain level.

Patients under medication - People taking diuretic drugs remove water from a patient's body because the kidney will less likely reabsorb the water filtered through it. In this case, frequent intake of water is needed.

The skin deserves much attention for it manifests your overall health or state of well-being. It provides you with valuable clues as to how you take care of yourself and how much attention your skin gets in your daily physical management.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For great skin care products go to http://www.shop4skincareplus.com

Skincare Advice For Everyone

Taking care of your skin should not be confusing nor should it require you to use a large multitude of products just to make your skin feel cleaner. In spite of all the sales hype that we see on TV and in print trying to persuade you that you need all different kinds of products most people only need a gentle cleanser and a moisturizer with anti-aging ingredients included. With that said, there are exceptions that may have a type of skin needing special care so it is important to know what kind of skin you have.

Begin by assessing what your skin type is. If your face feels dry and tight with possibly some rough patches or redness you probably have dry skin. You may even suffer from flaking and irritation. The best treatment for this type of skin is to use rich moisturizers and never use cleansers that strip oil from your skin. You should also add Omega-3 oil to your diet.

If your skin is shiny or feels slick, especially on your forehead, nose, and chin then you probably have oily skin. Although, you may not think of it as a blessing when you are young it is actually a blessing in disguise because it naturally guards against wrinkles and the effects of aging. With oily skin, you want to use cleansers that will clean the skin without removing this natural anti-aging oil.

Skin that is prone to acne and those who are older are more unique and will require more specialized treatment. Mild cleansers are still best and moisturizers should be oil free but formulated for the specific condition you may have.

People with severe skin conditions such as severe acne should seek the advice of a dermatologist who may wish to prescribe medicines and specific skin creams that are made to deal with tougher cases.

It is very easy to care for your skin once you know what your skin type is and can even become enjoyable as you use the correct products and see improvement.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For quality skincare products go to http://www.shop4skincareplus.com