10 Things To Prevent Dry Skin

Loosely defined, dry skin is when your skin loses or can't maintain its moisture. This can result in itching, skin cracking and also peeling in affected areas. This condition is most apparent in the winter months and is amplified by the use of forced air furnaces. Dry skin can be a physically uncomfortable affliction. From itching to flaking skin, it can become a bit unsightly as well.

There are many measures that can be taken to help minimize the effects of dry skin. Whether looking for the best lotion for dry skin or other skin care product, there are steps that can help you to coexist with or even heal and cure dry skin. The following steps, when used in conjunction with lotions and oils, can help you make it through the lower humidity that is experienced in the winter months.

1. Avoid consuming alcohol or caffeine, as they suck the moisture out of a body
2. Lip balms with Sun Protection Factors (SPF) prevents lips from drying out and becoming chapped
3. Wash using lukewarm water, rather than hot.
4. Avoid deodorant soaps as they tend to dry out skin. Use mild soaps
5. Limit showers to less than 15 minutes
6. In a bath, make sure to add oils to the water
7. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, even in the winter months
8. Put petroleum jelly on problem dry spots to aid in healing
9. Use a humidifier
10. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep hydrated

Exfoliates can also be beneficial, but if used too frequently, they can strip the skin of living cells along with the dead cells it is designed to remove.

Moisturizers used along with the above suggestions will help to maintain as much moisture as possible. In terms of moisturizers, it is advisable to use thick moisturizers that coat rather than alcohol based lotions which are absorbed into the skin and dry the skin out quickly.

By taking into consideration everything from the types of drinks that are consumed to the length and frequency of showers, dry skin is manageable.
Lynn Chorn has researched skin care issues for years and considers herself a lifelong skin health advocate. She is the founder of Malcolm's Miracle which provided lines of products for skin care for sensitive skin customers