Dry skin explained by AMELIORATE:

• Dry skin can be invisible to the eye, it can look dry or patchy or it can be scaly or flaky. Skin can also feel tight due to a lack of water. As skin becomes dry it can become more sensitive and may feel itchy.
• It is caused by your skin losing water; your skin has a thin coating of natural oils and other natural moisturizers on the surface. If they are removed, water evaporates more quickly and your skin tends to dry out.
• The quantity of natural oils produced by the skin varies from person to person, so some people are more prone to dry skin than others. It also varies in different places on the body and face.
• Most cases of dry skin are caused by external and environmental factors that strip the skin's protective barrier.

Causes of dry skin:

• Washing: hot water strips oils from the skin faster than warm or lukewarm water. Long and hot showers can do more damage than quick lukewarm ones.
• Soap is an emulsifier which removes the skin’s natural oils from the surface and dries it out. The more often skin is washed with soap, the more oil is removed, resulting in dryer skin.
• Sponges, flannels and exfoliators can physically remove your skin’s natural oils if used too regularly.
• Dry air: heating, air conditioning or drier climates draw moisture out of the skin.
• Some drugs have side effects which can dry out your skin. Seek your doctor's advice if you think this is happening to you.
• A health condition, menopause or genetic predisposition can also make your skin dry out. Seek your doctor's advice if you think this is happening to you.

What can I do about it?

• Moisturize while your skin is damp to lock in water further. Moisturizing on dry skin is much less effective.
• Use a pH-balanced skin cleanser rather than soap. After cleansing, your skin should feel soft, smooth, and healthy. If your skin feels dry, tight, inflamed or at all irritated, change product.
• Look out for alcohol on the ingredient list - some are beneficial to the skin (Cetyl, Stearyl, and Cetearyl Alcohol), others can dry and irritate skin and should be avoided (Ethanol, SD Alcohol, Denatured Alcohol or Isopropyl Alcohol).
• Lower central heating, reduce air conditioning, use a humidifier while indoors.
• Some materials such as wool or synthetic fibers tend to irritate the skin and worsen dry skin. Wear soft materials such as cotton.
• Protect your skin in cold or warm dry air by wrapping up in cotton layers.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat foods rich in Omega 3 to fortify the skin’s natural oil protective barrier.