Dry Skin fixes

Ever wonder how to get rid of the dry and chapped skin you get, especially around winter time?

Dry skin happens for various reasons including genetics, diet, vitamin deficiencies, skin conditions and most often environmental factors.

Around winter, temperatures drop, the air is dryer, and winds are harsh. All these factors can irritate your skin making it dry and sometimes peel or even crack.

dry_cracked_skin

Here’s a few things you can do to prevent and treat dry skin.

This ones hard to avoid but even cutting down helps.

Tap water has many chemicals that can be tough on your skin. try limiting the amount of times you use tap water esecially on your face. Also remember to use lukewarm water rather than hot since hot water takes moisture from your skin.
moisturize daily!

Normal everyday activities and weather conditions affect skins natural moisture level so it’s very important to replenish lost moisture. look for creamy but light moisturizers so they won’t leave your skin looking greasy. one of my favorite body lotions is Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion ($7.99 local drugstores).
Use creamy bodywashes rather than using a bar soap since they can strip your skin of natural oils and dry it out.

There’s a vast amount of body washes promising to leave skin silky but everybody is different so it’s a good idea to test out different ones and see which one quenches your skin better. I prefer bodywashes that are infused with oils and have Shea butter, aloe vera or other natural moisture enhancing ingredients.
Exfoliate to remove dead cells and flaky skin.

Limit exfoliation to twice a week maximum, or once weekly or bi-weekly depending on how sensitive your skin is. over doing it can cause skin irritation and dryness.
Take vitamins.

They help maintain your body from the inside out. Omega 3 fish oil pills (sounds bad, it’s not) are excellent for dry skin.
Don’t forget about your lips, hands and feet.

Use lip balm to prevent chapped lips. One that works for me is Burt’s Bees Lip Balm ($4.99 local drugstores) or for very chapped lips try Carmex tube ($1.69 local drugstores). Avoid licking your lips and don’t over do it with the lip balm since too much can make chapped lips worse. to keep hands soft use a hand salve. try Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve ($12.50 at kiehls.com). A good fix for very dry hands/ feet is to apply a thick lotion or Vaseline before going to bed and wear gloves/socks so moisture is sealed in.

your curl
photo credit: Victor Bezrukov

Here’s an all natural homemade facial recipe for extra dry skin.

It’s used as a mask and recommended once a week to help heal dry skin.
you’ll need:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. of honey
  • 1 tsp. of olive oil

application: mix ingredients and apply over face. leave on for about 15 mins remove with lukewarm water.
Try it out and let me know what you think! or share any recipes or tips you have to battle crocodile skin around the holidays!

Crocodile Hunter
photo credit: Tom@HK