Dry Skin

Dry skin has a low level of sebum and can be prone to sensitivity. The skin has a parched look caused by its inability to retain moisture. It usually feels "tight" and uncomfortable after washing unless some type of moisturizer or skin cream is applied. Chapping and cracking are signs of extremely dry, dehydrated skin.
Dryness is exacerbated by wind, extremes of temperature and air-conditioning, all of which cause the skin to flake, chap and feel tight. This type of skin is tightly drawn over bones. It looks dull, especially on the cheeks and around the eyes. There may be tiny expression lines on these spots and at the comers of the mouth.
Causes

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The oil glands do not supply enough lubrication to the skin. As a result, the skin becomes dehydrated.
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Skin gets exposed to the elements especially in winter.
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Dry skin could be due to a genetic condition.
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Poor diet. Nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiencies of vitamin A and the B vitamins, can also contribute to dry skin.
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Environmental factors such as exposure to sun, wind, cold, chemicals, or cosmetics, or excessive bathing with harsh soaps.
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Conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, or seborrhea.
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Dry Skin Could Also Be From:



Dry skin can be a sign of an underactive thyroid.


Serious skin complications can arise for people with diabetes.


Certain drugs, including diuretics, antispasmodics, and antihistamines, can contribute to dry skin.

How To Care for Dry Skin

Avoid the use of tap water when cleansing dry skin. The deposits are too drying on the skin. And never, ever use hot water. Use mineral water to freshen your face. Don't use a washcloth-a rough texture can irritate. In the morning, apply a spray of mineral water on your skin misted on with a plant sprayer. (Do not use a sprayer that had been used for spraying insecticides.) Lightly pat dry.

Dry skin needs plenty of thorough but gentle cleansing, regular stimulation with massage and generous quantities of oil and moisture. It also needs extra careful protection. Washing dry skin with soap and water not only removes grime but also the natural oils protecting the skin. A moisturizer increases the water content of the outer layers of the skin and gives it a soft, moist look.

Use nondetergent, neutral-pH products to cleanse your skin. Avoid using any commercial soap. And always touch your face gently. Double-cleanse with a cream, leaving a light, thin trace of it on the skin after the second cleansing.

Follow a bath or a shower with a mild application of baby oil. Massage your face with home-made nourishing cream every night before retiring. Be generous with the cream in the areas surrounding the eyes where tiny lines and crows feet are born.

Avoid coming in contact with highly alkaline soaps and detergents like washing sodas and powders which contain highly alkaline and drying ingredients.

Moistening with water, then applying a thin film of air-excluding moisturizer, restores the suppleness of the dry skin.

Morning Skin Cleanser/Rejuvenator

Every morning 15 minutes before taking your bath

1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon orange juice
1 teaspoon olive oil and
few drops of rose water
few drops of lime juice

Mix the above ingredients together and apply on your skin.

Beauty Mask for Dry Skin

1 egg
1 teaspoon of honey,
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and
few drops of rose water

Mix the ingredients thoroughly and use as a mask.

Night Moisturizing

After you clean and tone your skin, apply a splash of water or a water-misting. Pat almost dry with a soft towel, then smooth moisturizer from bosom to hairline. Allow five minutes for immediate absorption (cover your face and throat with warm washcloths to hasten penetration), then blot off any excess moisturizer with a tissue.

Men can skip the toner but should moisturize the delicate skin around the eye area.

Day Moisturizing

Apply a touch of your natural moisturizer over the freshly cleansed, toned, and dampened skin on your throat, cheeks, and around your eyes. Men should follow a two-step process. Apply moisturizer immediately after shaving. Wait ten minutes. Then moisturize again.

Milk Bath

Once a week take a milk bath. It will nourish and smoothen your skin. Warm your bath water and put in 250 gram of powdered milk, half tablespoon of almond oil and a few drops of your favorite perfume. Then just lie in it and let your mind wander while the wholesome foam works wonders on your dry skin.

If your lips chap, peel or crack then the best remedy is to massage them with a little cream of milk to which a few drops each of rose water and lime juice has been added every night before going to bed. Before applying lipstick, use a soft piece of towel for removing rough bits of chapped skin and rub a piece of raw beetroot gently on them. After applying lipstick add a little vaseline to keep your lips soft and pretty.

Moisturize your skin after cleansing to keep it from drying out. Use a liquid moisturizer or facial oil that contains nutrients and other natural ingredients. Avoid solid, waxy moisturizing creams.

Use a humidifier (or even a pan of water placed near a radiator) to humidify your environment, especially in winter. This helps to reduce the amount of moisture lost from the skin through evaporation.

Stay out of overheated rooms; avoid sudden changes in temperature; protect yourself from wind and sun. Remember, your face is fragile.

If you don't have a good, strong moisturizer on your face on a cold, windy winter day, don't go out! Cold will cause any moisture on your skin to evaporate. The wind will just accelerate the process.

At night, use a very creamy cleanser or oil (baby oil is perfectly all right). Remove residue with a spray of mineral water. Follow up with a night cream applied at least a half-hour before retiring. If you lie down immediately after applying cream, it will "puff-up" delicate tissues around the eyes.

Once a week, use a facial mask to clarify the skin and remove dull, dry surface skin cells. Blend together well 1 teaspoon green clay powder and 1 teaspoon raw honey. Apply the mixture to your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for fifteen minutes, then rinse well with lukewarm water. While your skin is still slightly damp, apply a natural skin oil or liquid moisturizer.

If your skin is chapped or cracked, increase your consumption of water and essential fatty acids. Keep any chapped areas well lubricated and protected from the elements.

For cracked, dry skin on the fingers, use calendula cream or oil with comfrey, vitamin E oil, and aloe vera. Apply the mixture to hands at bedtime, then wear plastic gloves overnight.

Do not smoke. Smoking has a harmful effect on the skin for several reasons. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels, including the tiny capillaries that serve the skin. This deprives the skin of the oxygen and nutrients it needs for good health. Smoking also can make the skin dry and leathery.

Do not use harsh soaps, cold cream, or cleansing creams on your skin. Cleansing creams are made from hydrogenated oils, which can cause free radical damage to the skin, resulting in dryness and wrinkles. Instead, use pure olive, avocado, or almond oil to cleanse the skin. Pat the oil on, then wash it off with warm water and a soft cloth.

Do not use very hot water when bathing or showering.

As much as possible, stay out of the sun. The sun is responsible for most of the damage done to the skin. It causes dryness, wrinkles, and even rashes and blisters. Always apply a good sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin if you must be in the sun.
Herbs for Dry Skin

Aloe Vera: Aloe vera is soothing, healing, and moisturizing. It also helps to remove dead skin cells. Apply aloe vera gel topically on affected areas.

Calendula and comfrey have skin-softening properties. They can be used in a facial sauna or to make herbal or floral waters. Comfrey also reduces redness and soothes irritated skin.

Add 5 drops of lavender oil or oat extract to bath water. After the bath, apply diluted evening primrose oil or aloe vera cream.

Drink teas of camomile, dandelion or peppermint.

Borage, fennel, coltsfoot or calendula tea also helps improve the skin. Add 1 tsp. of herbs to 1 cup of boiling water and drink daily.

Tea tree oil has been known to penetrate into the skin's cellular level. Add 1 drop of oil to your favorite day or night cream to help moisturize and smooth skin.

Herbal Facial Sauna

A weekly facial sauna using the herbs chamomile, lavender, and peppermint is good for dry skin.

Using a glass or enameled pot, simmer a total of 2 to 4 tablespoons of dried or fresh herbs in 2 quarts of water. When the pot is steaming, place it on top of a trivet or thick potholder on a table, and sit with your face at a comfortable distance over the steam for fifteen minutes. You can use a towel to trap the steam if you wish.

After fifteen minutes, splash your face with cold water and allow your skin to air dry or pat it dry with a towel. Then either apply a good natural moisturizer or facial oil, or apply a clay mask.

After the sauna, you can allow the herbal water to cool and save it for use as a toning lotion to be dabbed on your face with a cotton ball after cleansing.
Diet Recommendations for Dry Skin

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Eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts. Eat quality protein from vegetable sources. Increase your intake of raw foods.
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Eat foods such as garlic, onions, eggs, and asparagus that are high in sulfur, which helps to keep the skin smooth and youthful.
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Consume plenty of yellow and orange vegetables. These are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant. Carrots are especially good.
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Unrefined, cold-pressed flax seed oil used daily on salads and baked potatoes, or mixed into any dishes which do not require heating to high temperatures will make dry skin moist and supple. Flax seed oil contains the essential fatty acids omega-3 alpha linolenic acid and omega-6 linoleic acid. These are converted in the body into hormone, like substances called Prostaglandins, which support skin health.
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Cantaloupes, carrots and apricots are heating foods for dry skin because they are rich in the vitamins A and C, both important for a supple, smooth skin. Eat them whole or take as fresh juices. Eat foods rich in pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), such as quark, raw. milk cheese, natural plain yogurt, kefir, leafy green vegetables, nutritional yeast and wheat germ. Pantothenic acid is need for the synthesis of fats and oils used by the skin.
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Drink at least 2 quarts of quality water every day to keep the skin well hydrated.
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Avoid fried foods, animal fats, and heat-processed vegetable oils. Use cold- pressed oils only. Heating oils leads to the production of free radicals, which have a destructive effect on the skin.
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Do not drink soft drinks or eat sugar, chocolate, potato chips, or other junk foods.
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Avoid alcohol and caffeine. These substances have a diuretic effect, causing the body and skin cells to lose fluids and essential minerals.

Essential Oils For Dry Skin

Chamomile
Geranium
Hyssop
Lavender
Patchouli
Rose
Sandalwood
Ylang-Ylang
Common Sense Recommendations

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Evening primrose oil supplements are beneficial for skin. They contain gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid reputed to strengthen skin cells and boost their moisture content.
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Get sufficient sleep as the skin's cellular repair activity is at its optimum during this resting phase.
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Exercise benefits skin as it boosts circulation and encourages blood flow. Regular exercise will nourish and cleanse your skin from within.
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To nourish and smooth the skin, mash half an avocado and mix with a few drops of fresh lemon juice and spread over the cleansed skin. Leave on for fifteen to twenty minutes, then dab off the excess with a soft tissue. Splash the skin alternately with cold and warm water.
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For a quick and easy skin pack, mash a ripe banana with a fork and spread it thickly onto the face and throat. Leave on for ten to fifteen minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.