How can you treat dry skin

We found this interesting article about treating dry skin on the Dutch news website nu.nl and wanted to share this with you. After reading this you will understand why we make waterless body lotions.

It is translated from Dutch into English by Google.

Every week we ask a health question to a medical expert. This week: I have dry skin. Is it eczema or psoriasis? Dermatologist Patrick Kemperman answers.

I have been suffering from dry skin lately. What could that be?

"A lot of people suffer from this in the winter. This is because the outside air is not only colder, but also drier. The heating is on indoors, so the air is drier and warmer there too. This ensures, among other things, that the moisture in your skin evaporates faster, making it drier and more vulnerable."

But I never had dry skin before.

"That may be true. The skin becomes drier as we age: the sebaceous glands age and shrink, so that less sebum is produced. It often starts at the lower legs. They become drier and begin to flake and itch."

So I don't have eczema or psoriasis?

"That is not necessary, no. It is true that people with eczema or psoriasis often suffer from it more in the winter. But eczema and psoriasis are inflammatory diseases of the skin. They are chronic conditions that often require an intensive approach. That is different from 'just' dry skin."

Is it unhealthy?

"If you don't do anything about it, the same thing can happen to your skin as a desert: it dries out and can start to show cracks and fissures. The skin then becomes rough and irritates more easily. External substances can affect such vulnerable skin can easily penetrate and cause damage, which can lead to inflammation, for example."

“Ultimately, itching and scratching can cause wounds, which can also become inflamed.”

"The skin is also part of our immune system. Ultimately, itching and scratching can lead to wounds that can also become inflamed. The healthier the skin, the better."

What can be done about it?

"The combination of warm water and soap is not the best in the middle of winter. Do not shower too often, not too hot and not too long: no warmer than 38 degrees and shorter than five minutes. Hot water dissolves the skin fats, allowing moisture in the skin evaporates even more easily. In addition, the frequent use of soap in the shower can de-grease the skin extra. For that reason, choose shower oil rather than shower soap."

Should you lubricate with body lotion?

"That is possible for mild dryness. Body lotion mainly consists of water and contains only a little bit of fat. For dry skin, use a greasy cream or ointment. The fatter the better."

But it says 'hydrating' on my bottle of body lotion.

"When we think of 'hydrating' we think of 'moisturizing'. We think that we can bring moisture into the skin, but no liniment can do that. However, a cream can contribute to a better moisture balance by better binding the moisture present in the skin and improve the skin's barrier, thus reducing the evaporation of moisture from the skin. In that sense, the term 'moisturizing' is a bit misleading and 'moisture-retaining' would be more accurate."

Patrick Kemperman is a dermatologist at the Amsterdam UMC and Dijklander Hospital.

Source; NU.nl