Your skin tissues are made up of water, proteins, and fats. When your skin losses water or fats, it becomes rough, itchy, and dry.
Ideally, your skin produces just enough sebum and has just enough water in its tissues to stay glowy and plump. However, disruptions can occur.
We asked our experts at Colorado Skin Care about the most common causes of dry skin to help you out. Read on to learn what you can do to bring your glow back.
Eliminate skin-drying agents
Caffeine and alcohol can deplete your skin of water by speeding up kidney function, causing your body to excrete more water than it should.
Patients who have diabetes may also experience dry skin when they consume large amounts of carbohydrates, as these foods spike blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels pull moisture from the skin.
Chlorinated water can also dry up your skin. Chlorine doesn’t kill only the harmful bacteria in the water, but it also kills the good bacteria residing on your skin. Besides, chlorine may strip away the protective layer of sebum on your skin.
Increase your skin’s natural capacity to retain water
Hyaluronic acid is a molecule responsible for keeping connective tissues, bones, and skin moisturized. One molecule of hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. Unfortunately, topical hyaluronic acid isn’t sufficient, as it can’t penetrate deep into your skin.
Instead of applying hyaluronic acid topically, you can encourage your own body’s hyaluronic acid production by drinking bone broth. Leafy greens and certain fruits also contain hyaluronic acid, though in lesser amounts.
Read the labels of your soaps and shower gels
Most personal hygiene products manufactured nowadays are stripped of glycerin, an ingredient that prevents your skin from drying up. Most personal hygiene products substitute high-quality fats for synthetic ingredients that are cheaper and have a longer shelf life.
When buying soaps and other personal hygiene products, look for brands that use fats, lye, and natural fragrances from plant extracts instead of artificial sources.
Castile soaps made from inactivated lye and olive oil produce lather less but are very gentle to people suffering from dry skin. They leave the skin clean without harming the moisture barrier.
How dry skin is treated
Although everyone’s skin gets dry sometimes, symptoms such as flakiness, cracks in the skin, and bleeding could indicate an underlying condition such as eczema or psoriasis.
Even if a skin condition doesn’t cause your dry skin, you may still benefit from prescription-strength creams, moisturizers, and lifestyle changes that prevent your skin from losing too much moisture.
There are many causes to dry skin. However, the first step to treating dry skin is getting a diagnosis. Contact us to schedule an appointment to get a comprehensive skin evaluation and quick relief.