What Causes Dry Skin

Though dry skin can be unsightly to look at, the truth is that it is usually harmless. It may be a little itchy, but it shouldn't cause you any problems other than that.

That being said, it can lead to infections and eczema if it is left untreated. Your skin may change color and this could really bother you. For this reason, it is important that you realize what causes your dry skin and how you can avoid it.

Here are some causes of dry skin.

Weather. Your skin may feel dry during the winter. The cold, harsh air can damage your skin if you spend a lot of time out in it. Another thing to think about, if you live in the desert regions, you may have dry skin all year round.

Heat. During the winter, you will have to heat your home, and these things can dry out your skin. This includes fireplaces, central heating, and even space heaters.

Hot baths and showers. If you spend a lot of time taking hot baths and showers, you may notice that your skin seems dry. For this reason, you may want to take shorter showers, especially when your skin seems to be dryer than normal.

Chlorinated pools. Swimmers often have dry skin due to the chlorine in the pool. This is especially true if you swim in public pools. They often have more chemicals than personal pools, due to the number of people that use them regularly.

Harsh soaps and detergents. The simple truth is that there are a lot of soaps and detergents that can dry out your skin. This is because they are made to remove oils from the skin, which is necessary to keep your skin moisturized. Good smelling soaps and detergents aren't often the best thing for your skin.

Certain skin conditions. There are some skin conditions that cause dry skin. This can include psoriasis.

What can you do to keep your skin from getting dry?

Take shorter (and colder) baths. You should try to spend less than ten minutes a day in the shower. It also helps to use warm water instead of hot. If you can handle cold showers, you may want to use colder water.

Moisturize. You should use moisturizer daily to keep water in your skin. You can use it multiple times a day when your skin is really dry.

Use soaps with added moisturizers. You should avoid using anything harsh that will dry your skin out. Instead, look for cleansing creams or items that say that they are gentle.

Cover up. When you are outside in the winter (or even when it is just windy), make sure that you cover up. Always wear a hat, gloves, and scarf to keep as much of your skin hidden as possible.

Wear rubber gloves. If you need to keep your hands in water for long periods of time, you should wear gloves to protect your skin. You should also do this whenever you are using harsh cleansers.

Dry skin can really affect your life, so you should do whatever you can to keep your skin as healthy as possible. Take shorter baths and showers. It is also better to take warm or cold baths, instead of hot ones.

When choosing soap and detergents, make sure that you use ones that have moisturizers in them. If not, choose the ones that are gentle on your skin. Moisturize often and cover up whenever you go outside. You don't want to leave your skin exposed to the cold weather any longer than you have to! Rubber gloves can also protect your hands when they are in the water for long periods of time.