Dry skin (or its medical term, xerosis) is an uncomfortable condition recognisable by scaling, itching, and cracking of the epidermis, which occurs when skin doesn’t retain sufficient moisture.
But before we all pack up our lives and move to a more humid climate, there are less drastic measures that we can take to keep dry skin at bay (even if winter in Bali does sound rather appealing!).
REASONS FOR DRY SKIN
Dry skin is caused by a variety of reasons, such as:
The change in season – the water content of our epidermis tends to reflect the level of humidity around it, so skin tends to be driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels drop, both indoors and outdoors.
Heating/Air conditioning – central heating, fireplaces and space heaters evaporate the humidity in the air and dry your skin, as do air conditioners in the summer.
Age - older adults are more likely to develop dry skin. As you age, your pores naturally produce less oil, raising the risk of dry skin.
Hot or chlorinated water – taking overly long hot showers and baths can dry your skin, as can frequent swimming in heavily chlorinated pools.
Sun exposure – prolonged exposure to the sun can make your skin feel and look drier than usual.
Dry skin tends to affect males and females equally, but fortunately, xerosis is usually mild and can be easily treated…. Modifying just a few lifestyle habits can make a noticeable difference, as well as the regular application of topical products to ease symptoms of dry skin.
Below we give our favourite dry skin treatments that can be implemented as part of your everyday routine.
OUR TOP 5 DRY SKIN TREATMENTS
1. Apply a body lotion within 5 minutes of bathing or showering, as this will help seal in moisture while the pores of your skin are still open. Why not try our Body Lotion, which comes in a 500ml pump bottle in 3 delightful fragrances – Citrus & Seagrass, Citrus & Sandalwood and Yuzu & Sage. Our Body Lotions are easily absorbed and moisture-rich, and will leave skin soft, hydrated and beautifully scented. For skin that is very dry, try our intensely moisturising 250gm Body Butter. This ultra-nourishing butter (also in the gorgeous scents above) is blended with shea and cocoa butter and is enriched with aloe vera, almond oil and coconut oil to leave skin feeling super soft and smooth. Be generous when moisturising your body, and don’t forget the skin on your neck!
2. Keep a tube of hand cream nearby wherever you go - in the car, in your handbag, at work, on your bedside table, on holiday - anywhere you need a quick hydration boost for these sometimes overlooked parts of our bodies. The skin on our hands is one of the first to show signs of ageing, so it’s definitely worth looking after! Our Botanicals Hand Cream comes in a handy (so to speak…) 35ml size that’s perfect for your glove box or handbag, as well as a 100ml size to keep at home. Enriched with a natural blend of almond oil, coconut oil, shea and cocoa butter, our beautifully scented hand creams will help keep hands soft and nourished any time of the day.
3. We tend to moisturise our face in the morning and go about our day without thinking about it, but our face also need a little TLC during the day to stop skin from looking and feeling dry. Huxter’s Face Mist contains hyaluronic acid, a moisture-binding ingredient that helps retain over 1,000 times its weight in water, and is balanced with the antioxidant and calming properties of green tea and chamomile to leave skin revived and ultra-hydrated. It’s the perfect product to keep beside your desk at work for a quick spritz, especially if your building is centrally heated or cooled. We also recommend taking our Face Mist with you on flights, to help combat the dry cabin air, so you can arrive looking fresh and hydrated.
4. Our lips are often neglected, leaving them chapped and dry, which can be quite painful if not addressed. Using our Lip Balm regularly can help! Keeping our little pots of goodness within arm’s reach at all times is a sure-fire way to keep dry lips at bay. Blended with beeswax, almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter and mango butter, our nourishing lip balm will keep your lips soft and protected.
5. And last, but not least…. hydrate! It may seem like a cliché… but it’s true. Drinking your 6-8 glasses of H20 a day is important to keep fluid moving efficiently through your body, so keep refilling that water bottle throughout the day, especially if you are in a heated or air conditioned room, or hitting the gym. A diet rich in healthy fats can also help to improve the moisture-holding capacity of the skin. You can get omega-3 and omega-6 oils from foods such as salmon, eggs, nuts and seeds to keep skin cell membranes healthy and lock in moisture.
As you can see, there are many ways to combat dry skin -
Being mindful of the changes in temperature throughout the year, keeping baths and showers to a time limit in water that’s not too hot, only using central heating or air conditioning when necessary, being sun-smart when outdoors…
And, of course, when using our recommended Huxter products on a regular basis, your dry skin could very soon be a thing of the past.