Dry and flaky skin is a common complaint in the winter time. Cold, dry winter air sucks the life out of silky, smooth skin. Other factors that contribute to dry skin include aging, nutritional deficiencies, and a genetic predisposition.
Olive oil contains many antioxidants and healthy fatty acids that are good for your skin. It can soothe and condition dry skin all over your body.
Dab a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil under your regular moisturizer.
About a half an hour before taking a shower, rub some olive oil on your hands, legs and other areas with dry skin and massage lightly. Take a shower and then apply a light moisturizer.
Mix two tablespoons of olive oil, four tablespoons of fine brown sugar, and one tablespoon of honey. Rub this homemade scrub on your dry skin using light, circular motions for a few minutes. Take a shower and then apply a light moisturizer.
"Olive oil is my favorite at-home remedy," says dermatologist Sandra Marchese Johnson, MD, of Johnson Dermatology in Fort Smith, Ark. "Grapeseed oil is another great skin care ingredient." You can add it to your bathwater or apply it after a bath or shower, and the oil will naturally and effectively hydrate dry skin.
・You Will Need
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 drops of lavender essential oil
・What You Have To Do
Mix the lavender and olive oils.
Massage the concoction into your skin, and wipe off the excess oil with a washcloth. Alternatively, you may use a small amount of it as a leave-in moisturizer.
・How Often Should You Do This
The olive-lavender oil combination can take the place of your regular moisturizer, and can be used daily.
Milk has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties that greatly help get rid of dry and itchy skin. Plus, the lactic acid in milk exfoliates dead skin cells and increases the skin’s ability to retain moisture. Also, it helps lighten your complexion.
Soak a washcloth in cold milk and put the cloth on your dry skin for five to seven minutes. Gently wash off the milk with another cloth soaked in lukewarm water. This way this natural moisturizer will remain on your skin. Do this every other day.
Add a few drops of rose water to four tablespoons of milk. Rub this solution all over your body. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash your body with cold water. Follow this remedy twice daily.
・What You Need To Do
Boil milk till it becomes thick and reduces in quantity.
Allow the milk to cool down and apply it all over the skin.
If you feel that the dry skin problem is localized only to some areas, you can apply it only on those parts.
Allow the paste to dry up completely before washing it off.
・Why This Works
Milk, which is the primary ingredient in the preparation of ghee, butter or yogurt, can also be used to fight against dry skin. This is another effective home treatment for dry skin.
Avocado is good for your heart and good for your dry skin. Try this mask made from the moisturizing fruit. "Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture," says Dr. Cook-Bolden. Apply it to your face and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off the mixture first with warm water; then splash your face with cold water to close up pores.
・You Will Need
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons maize flour
2 tablespoons mashed avocado
・What You Have To do
Mix the aforesaid ingredients thoroughly to make a smooth paste.
Apply this pack onto your dry skin.
Leave it on for half an hour.
Rinse with lukewarm water.
・How Often Should You Do This
Repeat this process daily before your bath for best results.
Yogurt is an excellent skin-hydrating agent. Plus, its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help soothe dry and itchy skin.
Also, its lactic acid content helps get rid of any germs or bacteria that may cause dryness or itchiness.
Apply fresh yogurt on your hands, face and legs and gently massaging it into your skin. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then take a bath or shower. The mild exfoliating action of yogurt will remove dry skin and leave your skin refreshed. Do this once daily.
Mix one-half cup of yogurt and three tablespoons of mashed or blended papaya. Stir in a few drops each of honey and lemon juice. Apply it on your skin and leave it on for 10 minutes before washing it off with cold water. Do this once a week.
・You Will Need
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup plain yogurt
3 teaspoons honey
・What You Have To Do
Add the yogurt to the honey, and stir till they are combined.
Add the granulated sugar to it.
Apply the scrub all over your face, and massage in gentle circular motions for a few minutes.
Keep the scrub on for five minutes, and then rinse it with cold water.
・How Often Should You Do This
This scrub should be used once a week.
・What You Need To Do
Gently rub in some pure ghee onto your face and other affected areas in slow and circular motion so that it is absorbed by the skin.
Leave it on for a few hours before you step into the shower.
・Why This Works
Ghee is one of the most effective dry skin treatments at home. You can buy some pure ghee, or get butter and make ghee, to treat dry skin. Ghee helps in activating sebum secretion.
Coconut oil is really good for treating dry skin. It has a good amount of fatty acids that make up for any loss of moisture from the skin.
Liberally apply warm coconut oil all over your body before going to sleep. Wash it off in the morning. Do this daily to make your skin soft and smooth.
Apply coconut oil on your dry skin after you take a bath or shower. When the skin is warm and supple from your bath, coconut oil is more readily absorbed. Do this daily.
・What You Need To Do
Apply coconut oil on dry areas of your skin and leave it on. It will get absorbed by the skin.
・Why This Works
There is a general misconception that application of coconut oil on the skin may increase the growth of hair. This is just a myth that keeps several hundred deprived of the many benefits of coconut oil. Simple to procure and use, coconut oil does wonders at replenishing and locking in the natural moisture of the skin.
A steamy shower feels good, but that hot water is not a good idea for your dry skin, says dermatologist Andrea Lynn Cambio, MD.
The problem is that hot showers strip your body of its natural oil barrier, and you need that barrier to help trap moisture and keep your skin smooth and moist.
So dial down the temperature and don't linger too long. Skin care experts recommend short, warm showers or baths that last no longer than 5 to 10 minutes.
Afterward, gently pat dry and moisturize your body.
After you’ve had a really long day, maybe at school, college, with friends or at work or anywhere you tend to get tired and at that moment we want to have a hot shower, massage and a good sleep. Sounds good doesn’t it? Not really. Hot shower damages your hair. You should instead replace the hot water with lukewarm water.
Sun damage is one of the main causes behind dry skin, wrinkles, and roughness. You can help prevent that damage by wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen year-round and dressing right.
In cool weather, Cambio says, be sure to "dress in layers to prevent overheating and perspiring excessively; both can irritate the skin."
To prevent dry, chapped lips in winter, use a lip balm with SPF 15 sunscreen, and cover your lips with a scarf or a hat with a mask.
In summer, wear light, loose, long-sleeved shirts when out in the sun, and wear a 2-inch wide-brimmed hat to shade your neck, ears, and eyes.
You may have heard that if you want to keep your age a secret, you should take care of your hands. This means protecting them from harsh household cleaners and dish detergents, which are proven skin irritants.
To keep your dry skin soft and supple, cover them with non-latex rubber gloves when it’s time to scrub. Or better yet, create a double barrier of protection: Wear a pair of rubber gloves overtop a layer of thin, soft cotton ones before you touch a bucket or sponge.
If your hands are in need of some intensive therapy, slather them with your favorite oil or cream and put on a pair of cotton gloves. Do this before you go to bed, so the ingredients have time to condition you hands during the night. In the morning, when you take off the gloves, your hands will be soft and moisturized.
Doing this about once a week will keep your hands in good shape. For severely dry hands, you can do it every other night.
You may prefer to wear gloves during the day. During the winter months, if you're going to be out and about for awhile, try putting on cream before donning your winter gloves. Just make sure you wash them frequently, since they'll have residue from the oil inside.