What Causes Dry Skin

Dry skin happens more often in the winter where the cold air outside and the hot air inside creates a low relative humidity. Xeroderma literally means "dry skin". Xeroderma is a very common condition.

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About one in five people suffer dry skin on an ongoing basis. Others may find that they have a problem when the season changes.

Skin is made up of loose connective tissue and elastin. The average square inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes, and more than a thousand nerve endings. The dermis is structurally divided into two areas: a superficial area adjacent to the epidermis, called the papillary region, and a deep thicker area known as the reticular region. The outermost layer of epidermis consists of 25 to 30 layers of dead cells. When the skin loses moisture it may crack and peel, or become irritated and inflamed.

When skin loses the ability to retain moisture, it may be due to:

• Dry air, over-heating, air conditioning or climate
• Taking hot showers, or washing with hot water
• Over-active cleansing with soaps and gels
• Skin care products containing alcohol
• Exposure to outdoor elements, wind, cold air, sun
• Dehydration - (note - drink plenty of fluids, skin is moisturized from within)
• Aging
• Medical treatments, dialysis, radiation
• Conditions such as eczema, diabetes

Tips for Dry Skin

Drink enough water every day. Maintaining internal hydration is essential for your skin's overall well-being. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water each day for proper waste elimination and optimum skin health. Avoid too much alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks containing caffeine that can dehydrate and rob the skin of fluids.

Include foods with essential fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and canola oil in your diet to promote a healthy skin. Cold pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil and fish oil have all been shown in clinical trials to reduce skin dryness.

You may need to take a supplement containing some skin specific nutrients such as zinc and vitamin A. Zinc enhances collagen formation and can reduce dry flaking skin. Vitamin A supplementation has been shown to reduce thick, dry, itchy skin. These nutrients can also be found in oysters, nuts and seeds and bright coloured fruit and vegetables.

Use a moisturizer to protect and hydrate your skin. Studies have shown that using new generation moisturizers can help replenish the lost lipid (or oil) content of the skin and restructure the damaged layer, to prevent moisture loss.

Moisturizers with natural ingredients such as aloe, probiotics and panthenol are extremely effective and non-irritating for most skin types. If you have a dry skin problem, ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a new generation moisturizer, and see how it works for you.

Improve your circulation. Circulation carries essential nutrients throughout the body to benefit all your organs, including the largest one of all – your skin. You can improve your circulation through physical activity, such as running, walking and stretching.

Health and Fitness