Don’t Try To Drink The Dryness Away
Many beauty books and glamour magazines recommend drinking “at least seven or eight glasses of water per day” to keep your skin hydrated and prevent dryness. And while adequate water is essential for good health, just don’t believe the hype that you’ll see the results in your skin. “If you’re totally dehydrated, your skin will become dry,” says Kenneth Neldner, MD. “But if you are normally hydrated, you can’t possibly counteract or correct dry skin by drinking water.” MORE: 25 Flat Belly Sassy Water Recipes
Dry Yourself Damp—Then Stop
“It’s much more effective to apply moisturizer to damp skin immediately after bathing than to put it on totally dry skin,” says Neldner. That’s not to say you have to hop from the tub or shower soaking wet and immediately apply lotion. “But a couple of pats with a towel will make you as dry as you want to be before you apply the lotion,” he says. “You’re trying to trap a little water in the skin, and that’s the fundamental rule of overcoming dryness.” (Here’s the remedy for dry skin on your face.)
Best Moisturizer Options
“Nothing beats plain petroleum jelly or mineral oil as a moisturizer,” says Howard Donsky, MD. In fact, if you don’t mind the greasiness, virtually any vegetable oil (sunflower oil, peanut oil) can be used to combat dry skin and winter itch. They’re effective, safe, and pure skin lubricants—and inexpensive as well. These products do have one drawback, however. All tend to be greasy and don’t particularly smell or feel “clean.” So if you prefer a scented over-the-counter moisturizer, go for it. Just know that they’re all basically the same. MORE: 10 Amazing Beauty Tricks With Coconut Oil
Use Oatmeal To Heal
Some researchers believe that people first discovered the skin-soothing effects of oatmeal nearly 4,000 years ago. Many folks are still discovering it today. “Oatmeal can work in the bath as a soothing agent,” says Donsky. Just pour 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal (such as Aveeno, available at drugstores) into a tub of lukewarm water. The term colloidal simply means that the oatmeal has been ground to a fine powder that remains suspended in water. “You can also use oatmeal as a soap substitute,” he says. Tie some colloidal oatmeal in a cotton handkerchief, submerge it in lukewarm water, squeeze out the excess water, and use as just like you would use a normal washcloth.
Select Superfatted Soaps
People with dry skin should reach for “superfatted” soaps like Basis, Neutrogena, or Dove. Superfatted soaps have extra amounts of fatty substances—cold cream, cocoa butter, coconut oil, or lanolin—added during the manufacturing process.
Wash Only What’s Dirty
Any soap can be too cleansing for already dry skin, and may be unnecessary. When bathing, use soap or body wash only on areas that need it—your face, underarms, feet, groin, and buttocks. “Rinsing with water is enough to get other spots clean and prevent you from unnecessarily stripping skin of its natural oils,” says Amy Wechsler, MD.
Get Wet Before You Wash
Before you lather up, be sure your skin is sufficiently wet. Applying any kind of cleanser or soap, especially the foaming or gel types, to dry skin is more likely to cause you irritation, says Mary Lupo, MD. MORE: 7 Weird Reasons You’re Gaining Weight
Practice Sky-High Moisture Tricks
Airplane air can be super arid, with humidity levels as low as 5%, drying out even the dewiest skin, says Leslie Baumann, MD. Take these simple steps to keep your skin supple and beautiful at 35,000 feet and on the ground. Skip the makeup mask when you travel so you can moisturize often, she says. Once you are onboard, spritz with a face mist every hour and apply your choice of face lotion to seal in the moisture.
Beat Dryness In Bed
Did you know you can fight dry skin by keeping your house clean? Exposure to dust mites—microscopic insects that feed on dust and create irritating droppings—makes it harder for dry skin conditions to heal. To rule out this culprit, vacuum floors and wash bedding weekly in hot water at least 130°F.
Try To Humidify
If you use a humidifier in your bedroom, Neldner says, close the door to keep in moisture. It might also help to leave the bathroom door open when you take a shower. “Every little bit of humidity helps,” he says.
Lotion Up
Lotion can form a protective layer to soothe and defend winter-dry hands. If the heavy, sticky feeling of hand cream prevents you from buttering up as often as you should, try this spray-on solution. Jennifer Hoffmann of Huntington, New York, says spraying lotion onto her hands soaks into her skin faster and doesn’t require a lot of massaging. An extra bonus: Your supply of hand lotion will go much further, because spraying it on uses less per application. Hoffmann recommends putting lotion in a recycled hairspray bottle. It sprays out lighter and it’s easier to apply. “I took an empty bottle and filled it with hand lotion. Now I just pump a few sprays on my hands after washing the dishes or before putting on my gloves to go outside.”
Panel Of Advisors
Leslie Baumann, MD, is a professor and the director of cosmetic dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami and author of The Skin Type Solution. Howard Donsky, MD, is a clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He is a dermatologist at the Dermatology and Cosmetic Center of Rochester in New York and author of Beauty Is Skin Deep. Mary Lupo, MD, is a Prevention magazine advisor and clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University in New Orleans. Kenneth Neldner, MD, is professor emeritus in the department of dermatology at Texas Tech University School of Medicine and a dermatologist at Dermatology Associates, both in Lubbock. Amy Wechsler, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City.
