The skin is the largest single organ of the body, accounting for 1.75 m2 of surface area. For the most part, the skin is self-sufficient in maintaining its integrity throughout its top five layers, termed the epidermis. The outermost skin layer, the one you see, is made of flat dead cells that are attached to one another to form a keratin layer mixed with various lipids (fats). This skin layer functions to maintain pliability, hydration and provide a protective barrier.
Fifteen thin layers comprise the stratum corneum, that outermost skin layer. A new layer is formed approximately every day, with all 15 layers replaced every two weeks.
Caring for the organ that protects you, no matter what season of the year, requires a combination of balanced nutrition, adequate hydration, good hygiene, and the application of sunscreens and emollients or moisturizers as needed.
Nutrition
To ensure your skin’s outermost layer can perform its important functions, your first line of defense is obtaining adequate, balanced nutrition on a daily basis. It’s important not to remove all the fat intake from your diet for various health reasons, but for your skin’s sake, a low fat intake is needed. The fats are broken down into various lipids by your body; these lipids are the “glue” that cement the outer layers of skin cells together.
Drinking adequate fluids daily is also important to maintain skin integrity and suppleness. Water is needed by the entire body; your skin is no different. Eight to ten glasses of water daily have long been recommended by health care professionals. Try to compose a balanced diet for yourself and establish good nutrition by writing an essay of your daily food plan.
Hygiene
Hand washing, oft-cited as the single most important factor in preventing the spread of infection, can dry hands out, especially if strong soaps are used or inadequate drying of the skin is done. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that alcohol-based handwashing agents aid in both the reduction of microorganisms on the hands and potentially decrease damage to your skin from the detergents in soaps and friction from drying hands with towels.
Overdoing hand washing to the point that the skin becomes damaged needs to be weighed against skin damage in the form of dryness or irritation. Use moisturizing lotions or creams to help prevent these issues.
A dry environment in your home or workplace may also contribute to dry skin, especially in the cold weather months when the heat is on. While you likely have little control over the humidity in your workplace, at home you can use a humidifier to add needed moisture to the air. Alternatives to a humidifier include placing a pot of water on the stove and slowly simmering it, allowing the water to evaporate. Those with radiator heat can place a pot of water on the radiator for the same effect.
Moisturizing
Skin moisturizers provide two important functions: occluding moisture from leaving the skin’s surface and ingredients that increase the skin’s ability to hold moisture, called humectants. Many products combine these two functions, while others perform only one function. Occlusive moisturizers contain oils of non-human origin such as shea, coconut, or cocoa butter. Humectants include glycerin, alpha hydroxy acids, and urea.
In deciding what type of moisturizing product to use, you may want to consider the amount of dryness of your skin and exposure to potentially skin-drying conditions. Body oils provide the lightest occlusive skin barrier; lotions slightly more; creams more than lotions and ointments provide the highest level of occlusion. Try to do custom writing of the procedures that work for your skin.
Scaling, itchy or reddened skin that doesn’t respond to the use of over-the-counter moisturizers may be signs of a chronic skin condition that requires treatment by a health care professional. People who take diuretics (water pills) may be prone to dry skin. An underactive thyroid gland may cause thickening and drying of the skin.
If you’ve been trying unsuccessfully to treat a dry skin condition, consult your health care provider.
