Dry skin

What is dry skin?

Symptoms of dry skin

Causes of dry skin

Prevention / remedies / treatment for dry skin

What is dry skin?

Dry skin (xeroderma or xerodermia) is a common skin condition - the insufficient production of sebum by the sebaceous glands, along with insufficient moisture retention in the skin. Dry skin can occur on most parts of the body, but is more common on the scalp, lower legs, arms, knees and knuckles, the sides of the abdomen and the thighs. It is also common on the heels, with dry cracked skin around the back of each heel.

Usually dry skin is a cosmetic issue, causing little pain or discomfort. If natural home remedies don't heal a dry skin, or if the dry skin is painful or accompanied by other health issues, consult a medical professional who may diagnose an underlying ailment or cause.

Symptoms of dry skin

• Skin feels rough or abrasive.
• Mild scaling or peeling off of the outer skin layer.
• Cracks in the skin, most commonly around the back of the heels.
• Skin feels tight and uncomfortable after washing.
• More wrinkles with age than oily skin.
• Dry hair associated with the dry skin.
• Itching.
• Sensitive skin.

Causes of dry skin

• Harsh soap and other skin products, especially those that are alkaline, contain petroleum oils, detergents or hundreds of other chemicals. Often unexpected - eg facial tissues sometimes have detergents to make them extra absorptive.
• Hot showers.
• Dry atmosphere. Low relative humidity, more often in winter, with cold air outside and hot air inside creating a dry atmosphere.
• Bathing or hand washing too frequently. Try to limit baths and showers to 10 minutes or less, and not too hot, as they tend to remove natural oils.
• Dehydration. Drink plenty of water every day to keep the skin well hydrated.
• Diet of processed foods, high in sugars, refined carbohydrates and polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
• Deficiency of saturated fat. We need meat fats, butter fat or coconut oil in our diet.
• Deficiency of vitamin B3 (niacin) usually manifests as dermatitis, dry flaky skin, cracked heels and diarrhoea.
• Hypothyroidism.
• Wind on the skin.
• Deficiency of vitamin A. Eat plenty of yellow and orange vegetables. Carrots, yellow vegetables, cantaloupes and apricots contain vitamin A.
• Deficiency of vitamin D. Get daily sun on your skin. Eat more fatty fish, liver and egg yolk.
• Pyroluria.
• Adrenal exhaustion.
• Smoking.
• Sunburn.
• Some medications and pharmaceuticals.

Prevention / remedies / treatment for dry skin

• Vitamin B3. The best food source of B3 (niacin) is red meat, followed by fish and poultry. Other food sources include nuts and bananas. The best way to supplement is with nutritional yeast, which usually includes the whole range of B vitamins.
• Try not to use any soap when bathing or showering, unless really necessary to remove ingrained grime. Keep showers down to just a couple of minutes, and not too hot.
• Apple cider vinegar. Take it internally and also use it on your skin. Add one cup of ACV to a bath to decrease the pH of the skin and relieve dry skin. Alternatively add 1 teaspoon of ACV to a cup of water and use a cotton ball or small cloth to apply the solution to the dry skin once or twice a day.
• Castor oil.
• Coconut oil.
• Wheat germ oil.
• Honey.
• Glycerin, a simple water-soluble molecule.
• Lanolin, a product of the sheep fleece after shearing, is a thick, rich healing oil. A little lanolin goes a long way to healing dry skin. It is also great for cracked skin.
• Water. Make sure you are drinking enough water, especially if your urine is darker than a light straw colour, and if you can smell it quite strongly.
• Diet. Avoid sugar and all sweet foods, avoid corn and all products containing corn, avoid processed foods, fast foods and deep-fried foods. Avoid low-fat foods such as low-fat milk and yogurt. Use animal fats and butter.
• Exfoliation is removing the surface layer of dead skin cells, polishing off any dry excess and flakiness. It really helps to increase skin cell renewal. Never exfoliate inflamed or cracked skin, and ALWAYS moisturise immediately after. Exfoliation abrasively removes the outer protective layer of skin, oils and bacteria, and can damage living cells. If you don't immediately replace the oils to help protect and moisturise your skin then it will dry out again, but without the former protective cover. Please be very gentle. Do not exfoliate skin suffering from eczema.
• Moisturising. After washing or bathing, gently pat your skin dry with a towel, so that some moisture remains. Apply a natural oil or moisturiser to the damp or wet skin. The best oils are shea nut butter, coconut, almond, emu, avocado, olive, sesame and jojoba - all cold pressed and organic of course. If buying skin products, try to go as natural as you can and avoid anything with petroleum or mineral oil, alcohol or anything in the ingredients list that sounds like a chemical.
• See details of remedies recommended by Grow Youthful visitors, and their experience with them.