Preventing Dry Skin

Dry skin normally has small pores and a fine, thin texture that quickly soaks up moisturizers. It may also feel uncomfortably tight after a regular cleansing. Dry skin can also become itchy, hot, flaky and sensitive to the touch. The causes of dry skin can include a poor diet, a poor cleansing routine (or no cleansing routine at all), and lack of proper hydration. The natural effects of aging or the side effects of certain medications can also cause dry skin.

To begin to heal and prevent dry skin, begin by following these guidelines for preventing dry skin (or to prevent the condition from worsening):

Hydrate Yourself

Proper hydration is absolutely essential to having supple, healthy, and vibrant skin. Avoid Caffeine, alcohol and smoking and stick to drinking at least eight glasses of water every day. Caffeine, alcohol and smoking are diuretics that can cause dehydration and can wreak havoc on your skin. Along with drinking plenty of water daily, you can add water rich fruits and vegetables to your diet such as watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce, etc. Avoid taking more than one bath or shower on most days. If you use hot water during your baths and showers, switch back and forth between hot and cooler temperatures and end each bath or shower with at least three minutes of cooler temperature water contact on your skin. Hot water can dehydrate your skin even more. Some women swear that cold water, even icy water, can keep your skin looking young and well-hydrated, but a medium temperature works fine as well. Also, when bathing, try adding oil to your bath such as olive, jojoba, almond, hazelnut or grapeseed oil. Allow your skin to soak in some water for at least five minutes before adding the oil to your bath so that your skin becomes more plump and ready to absorb the moisture. If you have a dry home, you might also want to consider using a humidifier in your home.

Hydration Tip: Carry a mister bottle around with you and fill it with water and a few dabs of lavender or rose oil. Spritz your skin throughout the day when you begin to feel dry, instead of using an excessive amount of lotion every day.

Take Your Vitamins

Along with eating a healthy diet and taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement, you may want to include adding some other supplements to your diet such as:

• Omega-3 supplements
• Evening Primrose Oil supplement
• Flaxseed Oil supplement

All of these supplements help to restore moisture to your skin and hair. Olay also has vitamin supplements that are made to keep your skin (as well as your body) healthy and vibrant. I found that these vitamins work great. Also, prenatal vitamins work really well to keep your skin healthy and vibrant (you don’t really need to be pregnant to take prenatal vitamins).

Use Gentle Cleansers

Try not to use harsher cleansers such as deodorant soaps. Instead try using moisture rich body washes, soaps and cleansers. Oatmeal and milk beauty products work really well for dry skin and to help prevent dry skin. Petroleum Jelly also works great to prevent moisture loss, though it is messy. There is also a wide variety of lotions on the market to use for dry skin. If you have dry skin stay away from or reduce your use of lotions that tighten your skin, such as anti-cellulite lotions and sunless tanner lotions, until you restore your skins natural radiance. See below for some of my favorite lotions that you can buy from Amazon.