What are the products you use to relieve dry skin? In this article, check out some recipes for dry skin care, using herbs, essential oils, glycerin soap, and moisturizers.
Dry skin cannot be ignored. Dry skin leads to cracking of the upper layer of skin and gives it a real bad appearance.
The main causes of dry skin include dry climate, hormonal changes, too much exfoliation and treatment of other skin disorders.
Moreover, dryness could be the inherent nature of one’s skin. Whatever be the cause, ‘dry skin care’ is very important but not very difficult.
‘Dry skin care’ starts with moisturizers, the most effective remedy for dry skin. Generally, moisturizers are classified under 2 categories based on the way they provide ‘dry skin care’.
The first category includes moisturizers that provide ‘dry skin care’ just by preserving the moisture within the skin like Vaseline. These moisturizers are relatively inexpensive and are readily available, even at grocery shops.
The second category includes moisturizers that work by drawing moisture from the environment and supplying it to the skin.
This is a very effective in humid conditions. The moisturizers that provide ‘dry skin care’ in this way are also called humectants.
For proper dry skin care, you must use a non-greasy type of moisturizer, as far as possible. Humectants fall in this category. The ingredients of humectants include propylene glycol, urea, glycerine, hyaluronic acid etc
This is not about just using moisturizers but also using them properly. The best ‘dry skin care procedure’ is to cleanse the skin before the application of moisturizer.
You can make your this even more effective by applying the moisturizer while the skin is still damp after cleansing. Also, make sure that you use soap-free products especially on your face, neck, and arms.
Exfoliation does help by removing the dead skin cells. However, don’t exfoliate too hard. Your dry skin care procedures/products should also take care of sun protection.
Avoid too much and too direct exposure to the sun by simply using an umbrella, hat or scarf. Use a good sunscreen lotion before going out. A lot of moisturizers provide sun protection too, along with dry skin care.
You also have natural products that provide ‘dry skin care’ in a natural way without the use of synthetic chemicals.
These dry skin care products supply lipid enhancements to the skin, hence enabling moisture retention within the skin.
Another, important thing for ‘dry skin care’ is the temperature of water you use for the shower or for washing your face – Use warm water; too hot or too cold water can cause dryness too.
‘Dry skin care’ is also about being gentle with your skin. You should avoid harsh detergents and alcohol based cleansers.
Also, after a face wash, do not rub your towel on your face, just pat gently to soak the water off.
On the whole, dry skin care is really simple for anyone who takes that seriously.
Recipes For Dry Skin Care Using Herbs And Essentials Oils
Dry skin is generally due to less oil and moisture produced by sebaceous glands. Simple dry skin results from the lack of natural oils affecting mostly women under age of 35 years.
On the other hand, complex dry skin lacks both oil and moisture and is distinguished by fine lines, enlarged pores and sagging skin that happens with aging.
Alternatively, dry skin could have resulted from the genetic condition, poor diet especially deficiencies of vitamin A and the B vitamins, exposure to environmental factors such as the sun, the wind or aggressive usage of chemicals, cosmetics and excessive bathing with harsh soaps.
To name a few essential oils for dry skin are Chamomile, Geranium, Hyssop, Lavender, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, and Ylang-Ylang.
- Aloe Vera gel applied topically helps to remove dead skin cells and is soothing, healing and moisturizing.
-  Calendula & comfrey, with its skin softening properties, are used for the facial sauna.
- 4 – 5 drops of lavender oil to bath water followed by application of diluted evening primrose oil or Aloe Vera cream moistens the dry skin.
- Evening primrose oil contains essential fatty acid to strengthen skin cells and boost their moisture content.
- Â Drink tea brewed with chamomile, dandelion or peppermint. Teas of Borage, fennel, coltsfoot or calendula help improve the skin. Add 1 tsp of either herb to 1 cup of boiling water and drink daily.
- Tea tree oil with its skin penetrating properties helps to moisturize and smooth the skin.
Treat yourself with these recipes using herbs and essential oils:
Dry skin mask
Obtain a smooth paste by mixing 6-ounce of unflavored yogurt, few finely crushed almonds, 2 tsp honey and wheat germ oil each. Apply and massage your skin for 20 minutes.
Wash off with cold water. Crushed almonds exfoliate and eliminate dead skin, honey aids in adhering mask to skin and vitamin E in wheat germ oil fights radicals.
Homemade balm for dry, chapped lips
Heat ½ cup almond or grape seed oil. Add 2 tsp of melted beeswax, ½ tsp alkanet root. Strain the oil removing the root. Add 8-10 drops of natural flavoring oil and 3 drops of vitamin E oil.
If you hands are moisture dry or chapped, massage them with sandalwood, rose or chamomile essential oils mixed with hydrating base oil like hazelnut, avocado or evening primrose.
For energizing natural hand moisturizer, mix wheat germ oil with your favorite essential oil.
Before bath, apply a mixture of 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp orange juice, 1 tsp olive oil, few drops of rose water and lime juice on your skin. This is a good morning skin cleanser.
Add 1 egg, 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp olive oil and few drops of rose water make a good beauty mask for dry skin.
Try Herbal facial sauna once a week. Use chamomile, lavender, and peppermint herbs. Simmer 2 – 4 tsp of dried or fresh herbs in 2 quarts of water.
After few minutes of steaming, place the pot at a comfortable distance from your face on a table. Bend over the pot with the towel covering your face and the pot to trap the steam.
After 15 minutes, splash cold water and air dry your skin followed by application of moisturizer or facial oil. You can cool the herbal water and use it as toning lotion to be dabbed on your face after cleansing.
Glycerin Soap – Beneficial For Dry Skin
Glycerin soap, as the name implies, is a soap that contains glycerin, which is a natural part of fat or oil. Glycerin is commonly found in handmade soap, which is becoming more and more popular among consumers.
In the beginning, people turned toward handmade soaps because they were crafty, unique and smelled good. What they did not realize is that handmade glycerin soap is also very good for your skin.
Glycerin soap is believed to help replenish the skin and add moisture where other conventional soaps, such as some commercial brands, may have stripped.
In industrial soap, glycerin is often removed for use in expensive moisturizers and other skin care products. In handmade soap, however, the glycerin is not usually removed.
The harsh ingredients found in many commercial brands can actually dry out the skin, which takes away it’s natural moisture and may lead to damage.
Glycerin soap, on the other hand, is believed to be healthy for the skin and is less likely to cause irritation. In fact, many users have found that handmade glycerin soap may be especially beneficial to individuals with otherwise sensitive skin.
Easily found at craft fairs, specialty stores and online, handmade glycerin soap is more than a cleansing product – it is an art and the people who create each bar are artists in their own right. Various shapes, colors, and styles are easily found in handmade soap.
During the winter months especially, many people suffer from the cracked or dry skin. It’s uncomfortable, embarrassing and can make even the simplest motion of bending a finger a painful occurrence.
While not designed to specifically cure chapped skin, handmade glycerin soap does help to add moisture and rejuvenate the natural texture of the surface.
When skin becomes chapped, it is because the moisture is stripped away during cold weather, elevated heat temperatures inside the home and lack of moisture in the air.
Many people buy handmade glycerin soap because it helps to prevent dry, itchy skin. One of the main ingredients in handmade soap, which is known as aloe. It is derived from the inner part of an aloe leaf.
It is commonly used to treat burns, rashes, and insect bites. Aloe actually helps to heal wounds, which is why it is so beneficial to individuals with dry or irritated skin.
How to Quench Your Dry Skin’s Thirst?
Moisturizers – An Important Ingredient In Your Daily Skin Care Routine
If you have dry skin or maybe winter has left your skin itchy, dry and flaky, a moisturizer can help. As you probably know, the top layer of skin is dead, and the layers below supply it with the moisture — water, oils, and salt — that it needs.
Moisture is constantly lost through evaporation even under the best conditions. When you bring in winter winds, low humidity, and dry indoor heat the skin’s water loss is greatly increased. That is why moisturizers applied to the skin play such an important role.
There are two types of moisturizers:
EmollientsÂ
These work very much like your skin’s natural oils by forming an oily barrier on the skin’s surface that seals in some of the moisture and blocks evaporation.
HumectantsÂ
These attract and hold water on your skin’s surface.
Which moisturizer is best for you depends on your skin type, and the ingredients in the moisturizer. And, most times, it has very little to do with expense.
It’s a choice that you make after evaluating all factors. In fact, there have been studies which concluded the most effective moisturizers were the least expensive ones.
One thing to consider is this: the simpler, the better. The more ingredients in a moisturizer you use on your skin, such as perfumes, emulsifiers, coloring, thickeners, and so on. The greater the chance you will have some kind of allergic reaction if your skin is sensitive.
Preserve Your Skin’s Moisture – Tips and Suggestions
- Use warm water as opposed to hot for bathing or showering, and limit the time spent to 10 to 15 minutes a day. Use mild soaps which you dilute with water before applying to your skin.
- Excessive bathing, especially in hot water, and the use of strong soaps wash away the natural oils that are there to help keep water in the skin.
- If you bath rather than the shower, use a little bath oil in the water.
- Apply a moisturizer to the skin all over your body immediately after bathing or showering. In this way, the skin’s moisture is sealed in. Apply light films of moisturizer rather than one heavy coating.
- Dry hand thoroughly after washing. Apply a good hand cream.
- Give elbows and knees special attention during winter months. Exfoliate gently with a natural luffa sponge, and apply a moisturizing cream.
- Always wear gloves in cold weather to limit the evaporation of moisture from your hands.
- In cold weather, cover your face with a scarf or possibly a ski mask.
- Protect lips with a lip balm when out in the winter months. Avoid licking them which causes chapping and cracking.
- Eat a nourishing, well-balanced diet for your inner as well as outer health.
- Drink 8-10 glasses a water a day. Drinking adequate water on a daily basis is also important for glowing, healthy, moisturized skin.
Follow these steps and you’ll be able to watch your skin improve.
Hopefully, this post provides you some alternative that you can use for relieving dry skin whether it is summer months or winter season.
Take care of your skin and be attentive to find ways and solutions to resolve some concerns or to make it better.
Remember, the information in this post is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered as or used in place of, medical advice or professional recommendations for the cause, diagnosis or treatment of dry skin.
If necessary, individuals should consult a medical doctor or dermatologist for information regarding the use of glycerin soap or other effective treatment methods.
