For sufferers of psoriasis and eczema, the causes behind their dry skin go deeper than just a lack of moisture. In fact, doctors have yet to crack the case behind both psoriasis and eczema. If you have neither of these and instead must struggle with dry skin due to weather or climate location, you may be surprised to learn that your skin also has causes that go beyond the simple answer of no moisture.
Important to remember is what you might be thinking about when it comes to moisture. If you are thinking strictly in terms of water content, then you have much to learn. A lack of water in your skin is not always the cause of dry skin. Remember that soaking in water actually creates dry skin, rather than repairing it.
It is now considered that the reasons for dry skin are due to the substances that exist between skin cells. These substances are meant to keep them smooth, whole, and healthy. When the areas between skin cells break down or disappear, dry skin begins to occur. Your mission is to replenish these areas and prevent it from happening again if at all possible.
You should already be aware that the environment can do damage to your skin. If the humidity around you is low, a humidifier can do wonders to keep moisture around and keep your skin from becoming too dry.
Sun damage is a big part of dry skin and skin damage in general. Even during seasons when you expect your skin to be in better shape, the sun may be the reason skin is not recuperating. Leaving your skin exposed to the sun without any protection against harmful rays can continuously damage new skin beneath layers of old skin.
This damage shows through in the form of drier skin, as well as other possible damages such as discoloration and aging. Keep a good sunscreen on hand to give your skin a layer of better protection against the sun and remember that this does not just apply to outside activities.
Even if you have an office job, but are seated by a window and find yourself constantly in the sun, you would do well to protect your skin from the rays coming through the glass.
Avoiding harsh soaps and other skin care products that can dry out skin can help as well. The ingredients these products contain can upset the outer layer of your skin. When this happens, the areas between skin cells can begin to break down, leading to the flakiness you see and roughness you can feel.
Choose your products carefully because even some products that claim to be moisturizing may not necessarily be specifically meant for dry skin and fail to help.
Cell turnover, the layers of dead skin cells that should be shed as new skin comes in, is also disrupted. An extreme form of problematic cell turnover can be seen in psoriasis. In the case of dry skin, your skin is not being shed as much or as quickly as it should be.
While a general dry skin cell turnover problem is not as severe as psoriasis, it still benefits your skin as a whole to dispose of the dead skin layers and allow healthy skin to emerge. Finding a good exfoliant for your skin can take care of these problems and help your cell turnover happen more naturally.
Understanding the ways in which your skin becomes dry, as well as the ways you can prevent and treat your dry skin, will lead you to healthier skin overall and less worries about dealing with dry skin.
