Preventing Dry Skin while Bathing
Limit your shower or bath time to 5-10 minutes. While bathing is important, it also washes oils off your skin and dries it out. Prevent this by limiting your shower or bath time to 5-10 minutes to preserve the oils on your skin. Try using a shower timer that buzzes after 10 minutes. This prevents you from losing track of time. As an added bonus, limiting your shower time also saves water and reduces your bill. Cutting just 1 minute off your shower saves about 2.5 US gal (9.5 L) of water.
Take a colloidal oatmeal bath to moisturize your whole body. Run a bath and throw 1 or 2 handfuls of oatmeal under the faucet while the tub fills. Then soak for 10 minutes to soothe your skin. Colloidal means that the oatmeal is ground into a fine powder. You can find it at most pharmacies or online. If you can’t find any colloidal oatmeal, you can make some of your own by grinding up oats in a food processor.
Bathe with warm water, not hot water. Hot water is irritating and can give you dry, scaly skin. Test your bath or shower water to make sure it’s warm, not hot. Adjust the temperature as needed to prevent the water from getting too hot while you’re bathing. If you can’t wean yourself off of very hot showers, then take extra care to limit your bathing time. Get out after no more than 5 minutes.
Wash yourself with a fragrance-free cleanser. Harsh soaps are a major culprit behind dry skin. Use a gentle, fragrance-free body wash to prevent irritation. Also rinse the soap off completely, since soap scum can irritate your skin as well. Body washes designed for sensitive skin should be hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, these products are best to prevent dry patches. Avoid cleansers that contain alcohol, retinoids, and alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). These can all dry out your skin. Using too much soap, even if it’s designed for sensitive skin, can still cause irritation. Use enough soap for a light lather, but not so much that you’re covered in a thick layer of suds.
Avoid using rough sponges or washcloths to clean yourself. These products can scrub off your top skin layer, causing irritation and dryness. Wash with only your hands as much as possible. If you need something else, a gentle loofa is best. If you do use a sponge or washcloth, use a light touch. Scrub your skin softly without pressing down.
Blot your skin dry to prevent irritation. When you get out of the shower, don’t rub your skin dry. Instead, take your towel and blot your skin to gently dry yourself. If possible, use a soft towel. Rough towels could cause irritation even if you just blot your skin.
Moisturizing with Natural Remedies
Apply a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer immediately after washing. Even if you shower quickly and use warm water, some oils will still come off while you bathe. Replace that lost oil with a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free moisturizer immediately after you dry off. Find a moisturizer that contains olive, coconut, or jojoba oil. Shea butter products are also effective moisturizers. Any products labeled for sensitive skin or hypoallergenic are gentlest on your skin. Make sure none of the moisturizers you use contain alcohol or perfumes. Finding the right moisturizer can be a trial and error process, since all people are different. If you don’t like the results you’re getting from one product, don’t hesitate to switch to another and try for better results.
Dab jojoba or coconut oil onto rough patches to lock in moisture. These two products are natural, anti-inflammatory moisturizers. Buy a 100% pure product online or from pharmacies and health stores. Pour some onto your hands, rub them together, and apply the oil to your skin to prevent dryness. If either product is too oily or slippery, try diluting it a bit with water. There are some other plant oils that might work as moisturizers too, but the results have less scientific backing. Olive oil is moderately effective. Nut oils like peanut or almond oil might work as well, but do not use them if you’re allergic to nuts.
Apply aloe vera gel to dry skin patches. Aloe vera is proven to treat dry and irritated skin. If you have any dry patches, rub some pure aloe gel onto the area to lock in moisture and help it heal. You could also grow an aloe plant in your home and use the oil directly from the plant.
Protecting Your Skin
Avoid scratching any itchy parts of your skin. Dry skin is sometimes itchy, so you'll be tempted to scratch it. This can make the problem worse, however. You could cause more irritation and even cut your skin. It's best to avoid scratching altogether. If your skin is itchy, try applying a cold compress for 15 minutes to soothe the itching. If you have itchy patch around large areas, take an oatmeal bath to moisturize your whole body.
Use a humidifier to keep the air in your home moist. Dry air can irritate your skin, so try to stay in a humid environment. If you live in a dry climate, use a humidifier in your home to raise the air moisture levels and prevent your skin from drying out. In most cases, setting the humidifier to 60% is enough to keep your top layer of skin moisturized. The air is usually drier in the winter, so try setting up a humidifier seasonally. If you live in an especially dry climate, keep one running at all times.
Avoid rough or scratchy clothes that will irritate your skin. Certain materials, particularly wool, are rough on your skin and can dry it out. Stick to smooth fabrics like cotton, silk, or linen to protect your skin.
Cover your skin when it’s cold outside. Dry skin is especially common in the winter. This is because cold, windy air can strip away the oils on your skin and dry it out. Cover your skin as much as possible when the seasons change to protect it from the cold air. For most people, their hands dry out first when it starts to get cold. Wear gloves as soon as the weather starts changing to protect your hands.
Use hypoallergenic laundry detergent. If your skin is drying out and you don’t know why, take a look at your laundry detergent. Detergents can contain harsh soaps and fragrances that irritate your skin. Switch to a hypoallergenic type to avoid irritation. Make sure no detergents contain alcohol. This ingredient causes dry skin.
Follow a high-antioxidant diet. Antioxidants are ingredients that you’re your body fight off toxins and other damage. They can promote moist, healthy skin as well. Try introducing more antioxidants into your diet to protect yourself from dryness. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, particularly carrots, leafy greens, berries, beans, and peas. Oily fish and nuts are also a good source. Processed and sugary foods are generally bad for your skin and could cause dryness or acne. Try to limit your intake of these foods.
Seeking Medical Care
See your doctor if you have severe or persistent dry skin. If you’ve been caring for your skin and trying home remedies for a few weeks with no success, call your doctor. They can examine your skin and try to determine what might be causing the problem and how best to treat it. Additionally, let them know if you’re experiencing severe dry skin symptoms, such as: Redness or large areas of peeling or scaly skin Itching that’s so severe that it keeps you awake at night Open sores or infected skin in areas where you’ve been scratching yourself
Get medical attention if you have a bad reaction to a skin care product. Some skin products can cause severe allergic reactions or side effects, even if they’re natural. If you notice redness, irritation, a rash, or worsening dry skin while using a product, stop using it immediately. Call your doctor if the symptoms don’t clear up on their own within a few weeks, or if you have a rash that is widespread, painful, comes on suddenly, or affects your face or genitals. Seek emergency medical care if you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as difficulty breathing, lightheadedness or confusion, nausea and vomiting, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Visit the doctor if you get an infection from scratching your skin. Although you should avoid scratching your skin, you might still slip up and cause a cut or abrasion. Monitor any wounds carefully and if you see signs of an infection, visit your doctor right away for an antibiotic treatment. Common infection symptoms are redness and pain at the wound site, pus forming in the wound, and heat around the area. You almost might get a fever and feel run down.
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