Dry skin happens when your skin doesn’t have enough moisture, making it rough, tight, itchy, flaky, and scaly. Possible reasons for dry skin include lifestyle choices, age, certain medications, skin conditions, and environmental changes.
Moisturizers that aren’t thick enough or don’t contain the right ingredients for your skin type can cause dryness. Lightweight or gel-based moisturizers may not offer enough hydration for very dry skin.
Using moisturizers with the following ingredients can help:
- Shea butter
- Ceramides, a type of fat found in skin cells, maintain the function of the skin barrier (the protective outer layer of skin)
- Glycerin, a substance that helps retain moisture
- Urea, a substance that can help improve hydration and prevent moisture loss
Exposure to certain types of weather and other environmental factors can make you more likely to experience dry skin and make it harder to manage. This can include:
- Cold weather
- Low humidity
- Dry indoor heating
- Intense sunlight
If you regularly work with chemicals like those found in hair salons or cleaning companies, you could also experience drier skin than normal.
Certain lifestyle habits can affect your skin and its moisture levels, such as:
- Not drinking enough water or eating a balanced diet can lead to deficiencies in certain nutrients, such as vitamin A and D, zinc, or iron.
- Bathing too frequently, using hot water to shower, and spending a long time bathing
- Medications like diuretics, beta-blockers, contraceptives, and retinoids
If you have an underlying health or skin condition, you may experience chronic (long-term) dry skin.
Skin conditions that can cause dry skin include:
Conditions like diabetes and hypothyroidism, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis can make your skin feel drier. Even pregnancy and menopause can leave your skin feeling parched.
Your age, sex, and race could all play a role in dry skin:
- Older adults: Dry skin is among the most common skin conditions in people 60 or older. This is because your skin loses oil as you age.
- Sex: Women are more likely to have dry skin than men.
- Race: Research suggests that Black people may experience dry skin more frequently than white people. There is also limited evidence that Asian people may lose more moisture in their skin than other races.
Whether you have chronic or recurring (repeated) dry skin, there are remedies you can try at home to combat it, like changing moisturizers and making lifestyle changes.
Product Choices and Proper Application
Making sure you’re using quality skincare products and moisturizing enough can help with dry skin:
- Choose the right moisturizer: Some research suggests that you may need a moisturizer with ceramides when you have dry skin. Look for creams or ointments that contain moisturizing ingredients such as jojoba oil, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, mineral oil, lanolin, or lactic acid.
- Use gentle skin care products: Skin care products containing alcohol, fragrance, and retinoids can dry your skin. Instead, opt for gentle cleansers and fragrance-free products. Body washes and soaps with fragrances can irritate dry skin and make it worse.
- Apply moisturizer often: Dry skin is damaged skin, so you want to take steps to help it heal. The best way to do that is with an appropriate moisturizer used multiple times a day. Apply your moisturizer within five minutes after a shower or bath and anytime your skin feels dry or rough.
Lifestyle Changes
Small changes in your daily routine can make a difference in your skin health. These lifestyle changes can help promote healthier skin:
- Stay hydrated: Increasing your water intake can significantly improve your skin’s hydration. Some of this may be related to the fact that a large percentage of your skin is comprised of water, and when you are dehydrated, it results in dry skin.
- Shower less and use warm water: Everyone enjoys a nice long shower, but if your skin is dry, it may make sense to bathe less often and to make sure the water is warm rather than hot. This will help prevent your skin from depleting its protective oils. Try to keep your showers to about five minutes in length, if possible.
- Use a humidifier in the winter. Turning on a humidifier will add moisture to the air and help prevent dry skin. Try using a portable machine in your bedroom at night while you sleep.
- Avoid the sun and tanning beds: Both tanning beds and the sun emit ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can be very drying for skin. Avoid tanning beds and limit your sun exposure as much as possible by staying in the shade, using sunscreen, and covering exposed skin.
- Protect your skin from the cold: Direct contact with cold air can worsen dry skin. Consider wearing a scarf and gloves to keep your face and hands protected while outside.
Having the right skin care routine can usually fix dry skin, including moisture level and texture, within about two weeks.
If your dry skin doesn’t improve or worsens, consider seeing a healthcare provider like a dermatologist. A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in hair, skin, and nail conditions. A dermatologist can determine what is causing your symptoms and provide treatment options.
Dry skin even after moisturizing is common as you get older or if you have underlying conditions, take certain medications, live in drier or colder climates, or make certain lifestyle choices.
Using the right moisturizer for your skin type, along with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser, can help combat dry skin. Boost skin health by avoiding direct sunlight and prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, drinking water, taking short, warm showers, and using a humidifier. If your dry skin doesn’t improve or worsens, consider seeing a dermatologist for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
