Everybody wants a flawless skin. A perfect cutis can make us not only feel gorgeous inside and out, it will also literally make us attractive for others. Taking care of the integumentary system has always been a part of every women’s (and man’s) daily beauty regimen. And I perfectly understand how it feels to have a spot of dry skin in your body. Dry skin can make us feel conscious and less confident to say the least. This is why I decided to focus on this problem area for this day’s article.

Fun Facts

First of all, let me share a few important physiological realities about our skin:

• The skin is the largest organ of the body.
• It serves as a large waterproof covering that protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, irascibilities caused by environmental pollution and other irritants.
• The skin also serves as a barrier to microorganisms and heat.
• It also traps moisture inside to prevent drying up through the help of fats.
• It has other functions such as secretion of sebum (oil) and sweat, and absorption.
• The skin has an upper layer called epidermis and a lower layer known as the dermis. The basal cells are the ones that multiply and push the ones in surface causing them to eventually slough over a period of time.
• The process of cells losing water and moving on to the surface is called keratinization and this is practically natural!

Dry Skin Explained

Basically, dry skin happens when your epidermal layer is dehydrated. Men and women are both at risk in having this kind of common condition.

It can be caused by various factors including:

• Aging – Young ones are lucky enough for they have lower chances of experiencing the symptoms. But as we grow old, the likelihood increases. Why? This is because as you grow older, the integrity of your skin changes – it does not produce sebum or oils that act as lubricants and moisturizers. Aside from that, the lipids decrease as we add years to our lives.
• Environment – Dry climates/air and colder seasons can trigger occurrences of dry skin.
• Medications – some drying spells are side effects of certain drugs that you might be taking.
• Stress – so many studies have proven that high levels of stress can cause many untoward effects to our body especially to our skin like acne, hair fall and even dry skin!

Nobody wants to have a dry skin because it can bring physical (itchiness and flaking) and psychological (worrying) effects. So without further ado, here are the ways on how you can remove dry skin all over your body. Notice how I particularly emphasized certain parts as different areas need different care and strategies.

Getting Rid of Dry Skin All Over Your Body

Always remember that the primary step in eliminating dry skin is to identify the cause! This will save you time, effort and money.

Dry Scalp

We have the tendency to forget that our scalp is part of our skin. As this portion of your integument desiccate, you might see formations of dandruffs (flakes), itchiness and even coarse hair. Over time, if you do not address the issue immediately, the follicles of your hair will become weak. This will then lead to hair fall.

How to get rid:

Some shampoos and hair treatment can cause dry scalp because of their main ingredients. Try to observe if this is the cause, if so, you might want to lessen the frequency of its use or to change brands. Consider the milder ones. Some people even suggest using baby shampoo!

Massage the scalp. Massaging stimulates the skin of your head to produce natural oils. You can choose any of the following oils to augment the need for moistness: olive, sesame seed, virgin coconut, and tea tree.

You can also utilize some ingredients found in your kitchen to relieve this condition.  The steps that you should do are to wash, massage, leave the on hair for 10-15 minutes then rinse before shampooing. Examples of which include (a) Apple Cider Vinegar, (b) lemon juice, and (c) mixture of baking soda and water.

Dry Feet

Dry skin on our feet is not only irritating, it is also painful and it predisposes us to bacterial infection. Luckily we have so many ways on how to solve this.

How to get rid:

We all know how relaxing a foot soak is, it becomes even better as it can soften and dissolve dry and dead skin in which we can always scrub off using pumice stone and loofah afterwards. Some people also vouch in using combined Listerine, vinegar and water to get soft and smooth feet!

Hydrate your feet by using moisturizers (oils or lotions) after taking a bath. Before going to sleep, it is also highly suggested that you wear socks after applying your preferred skin conditioner to lock the moisture in.

Dry Face

The face is always exposed to the environment and it will become inevitably dry if you do not put enough attention and care to it.

How to get rid:

Daily oil therapy would always be beneficial if you are experiencing dry skin on your face. Choose among almond, castor, coconut, jojoba, mustard, and olive oil; after washing your face, apply 2 tablespoons of oil, massage for a few minutes and wipe it off. If you like, you can also use a few drops as leave-on moisturizer.

Masks are great alternatives for dry skin. Mash and mix the ingredients, apply on your face, leave it on for 15-20 minutes and rinse with water. This can be done once or twice weekly. Depending on the severity of dryness, you can use it every other day. You may utilize the following combinations when making a pack:

• ½ avocado and ¼ honey
• 3 tbsp oatmeal, ¼ warm cup milk and 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp coconut oil and ½ ripe banana
• 2 tbsp maize flour, 5 tbsp honey,  5 tbsp cocoa powder, and 2 tbsp mashed avocado
• 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp honey

Pantry ingredients will also be helpful to you. Milk that was thickened through boiling can be applied to face; you have to wait till it dries up then wash. Plain yogurt, honey and granulated sugar may be used as a face scrub. This will help exfoliate your skin, remove dead cells, treat dry skin and moisturize all at the same time.

Please take precautionary measures as our face is very delicate and dry skin makes it even more sensitive. Try the ingredients on the dorsal side of your hand first and wait for few minutes to check for any allergic reaction.

Dry Lips

This is probably the most common site of dryness of skin. Take note that expired lip products can cause dryness. Sometimes, chapped lips are present because you are not drinking enough water; and more often, dry lips get worse when you lick them!

How to get rid:

Rubbing the lips when wet with washcloth, finger pads and even your soft-bristled toothbrush can remove skins that are chapped. Alternatively, you may use household materials like sugar or salt mixed with honey and water to exfoliate your lips.

Purchase lip balms or petroleum jelly. You can apply this as often as you need.

Dry Skin on Body

Some parts of the body are more prone to dryness than the others. These are your abdomen, arms, hands, and legs. You must acknowledge the fact that the longer you shower, the dryer your skin gets. In addition to that, some soap may cause drying as they can be too harsh on your skin.

How to get rid:

Cure the dehydration with one word – Moisturizers! On top of drinking 2 liters of water every day, use this. Be it natural oils or the ones available in market. They are available in different kinds and sizes. They can be in forms of soap, liquid wash, after-shower gels, jelly and lotions. Apply them liberally as often as needed.

Conclusion:

Humidity and hydration are the greatest factors that can affect the state of our skin. Drinking plenty of water will physiologically prevent you from experiencing skin dryness. Purchasing formulated moisturizers or making your own creams from items you can see from your kitchen can help you get rid of dry skin anywhere in your body.

Although this condition is very usual, we have to bear in mind that the composition of our integument is very unique; therefore, a treatment regimen may be effective for one but not for the others that is why I presented a wide array of options. In line with that, just like any medications and procedures, there may be adverse effects such as hypersensitivity reactions. I urge you to test using a small amount initially even if you are using edible ingredients. Always choose hypoallergenic products when buying to avoid further complications. And seek medical attention if you are already experiencing symptoms like severe itchiness, burning,  and/or manifesting bacterial infection, dermatitis, psoriasis and other skin conditions.

Have you previously tried any of these suggestions? Share your experience with the comment box below!

Author Bio

My name is ELLA JONES. I’m a blogger, shopaholic, and beauty-obsessed blogger from NYC, armed with a Professional MBA from Fordham and a License in Cosmetology from Empire Beauty School in my hometown of Brooklyn. I’m the proud owner of a successful salon and beauty parlor in the city, and I’ve started this blog to share my beauty secrets with you. This is my site: https://www.pickupbeauty.com/