Tips to treat dry skin

Tips to treat dry skin

To treat your skin you need to know its characteristics and weaknesses. We offers you some simple daily gestures to prevent it from drying out and to find a beautiful, healthy and hydrated skin.

What do you mean by dry skin?

The dry kin is a skin whose protective film, consisting of a combination of water and fatty substances (sebum) is weakened due to a reduction of sebum and an alteration of the hydrolipidic film present on the surface of the skin, resulting in dehydration . The lack of sebum associated with the loss of water causes the skin to appear dry, sensitive and prone to irritation.

The characteristics of dry skin

First of all, it should not be forgotten that dry skin is particularly fragile and easily undergoes external aggressions, especially from the cold and pollution. In these cases there are often unpleasant sensations such as that of the skin that "pulls" or itching, or the skin may appear scaly and wrinkled, assuming the typical appearance of "crocodile skin" or presenting imperfections like redness or small skin desquamation.

The causes of dry skin

The causes of dry skin vary according to people, and the main factors are environmental conditions (variations in temperature, dry air, humidity, etc.), domestic heating in winter, exposure to wind and sun, and pollution. Even the frequent hot baths and the use of traditional soaps (alkaline) make the protective layer of the skin more fragile, which, when deprived of water, becomes dry and dehydrated. Another cause of drying up of the skin is represented by age: over time the epidermis naturally becomes drier. Finally, dry skin can be a hereditary characteristic: some people have less lipid genetic causes in the outer layer of the skin. The case of black skins is exemplary,

Daily care for dry skin

There are various ways to take care of dry skin: for the toilet it is advisable to choose gentle cleansing products with neutral pH, which respect the fragility of the skin and neutralize the drying effects of calcareous water. Avoid soaps or shower gel too cleansers, which make the skin more fragile. Give preference to showers with warm or cool water (in summer) instead of hot water baths, and try to dry the skin carefully avoiding to rub too much, not to irritate it. After the shower, the application of a moisturizing cream or an emollient cream to the body (atopic or very dry skin) is an effective way to rehydrate the skin. The composition of these types of treatments is similar to that of the natural protective film of the skin, with an aqueous part that provides hydration and a fat component that prevents the water from evaporating.

In case of severe dry skin it is preferable to apply after the shower, on the moist skin, products rich in urea, which are able to effectively replace the natural hydration. It is also necessary to know that dry skin needs to be stimulated, and then a scrub once a week will help you restore the skin's hydrolipid film and eliminate dead skin cells.

Hydration: the secret to a healthy skin

As you will have understood, the hydration of the body is fundamental to rediscover a healthy and full of life skin, but it is necessary to know that unfortunately applying a cream is not enough. To maintain the water balance of the skin, however, there are solutions to moisturize the skin, but this time from the inside: a balanced diet and the intake of at least 1.5-2 liters of water a day will help to keep the mechanisms efficient. operation and repair of cells; do not forget to take with each meal fruit and vegetables , naturally rich in water, to increase the level of hydration.

The common places on dry skin

Contrary to popular belief, it is not advisable to stop eating fats thinking that they will increase weight: they are in fact rich in vitamins A and E and contain essential elements for the elasticity and softness of the skin. A deficiency of fatty acids will only accentuate the evaporation of water and the dryness of the skin. In fact, it should not be forgotten that a dry skin has at its base a lack of lipids, and therefore of fat.