Excessive skin dryness or dehydration may be caused by internal or external factors. We will start with the internal ones and then move on to the external factors.
• Generally Poor Hydration
Not drinking enough plain water will cause all of the cells of your body to suffer the ill effects of dehydration. Most experts recommend drinking 64 ounces per day, although that may not be a solution for dry flaky skin. The skin's cells are more easily dehydrated than any others, regardless of your fluid intake.
• Poor Nutrition
Poor nutrient intake can cause xeroderma, the technical term for dry skin. Vitamin A or Vitamin D deficiency can cause the problem. Vitamin C deficiency can have an extremely negative effect on the skin's health.
All three of those vitamins are antioxidants, which are important for preventing excessive skin aging. Vitamin A is necessary on a cellular level for normal fluid balance. The B vitamins and the electrolyte minerals play a role in cellular homeostasis, as well. Simply put, homeostasis is good hydration.
It is important here to note that a synthetic form of vitamin A is sometimes found in anti-aging skincare products and in some acne solutions. The synthetic form is acidic and will actually cause dryness, flaking and redness when applied to the skin. Other creams, lotions and cosmetics can cause the problem, too.
• Skincare Products
Alcohol is a common ingredient in many skincare products. It actually strips away the skin's naturally protective oils and changes the natural pH balance, referred to as the acid mantle. This means that using products that contain alcohol on your skin on a regular basis can lead to severe skin hydration. You have basically stripped away everything that would naturally protect against it.
Other skincare products that cause dryness include sodium laurel sulfate, which is found in most lotion-type cleansers, and petroleum-based oils. Petrolatum, mineral oil and paraffin are petroleum-based oils. While they may at first feel soothing, they will eventually cause dryness issues.
• Winter Weather
Cold air outside combined with warm air inside causes a low relative humidity in the air. One of the ways the skin's cells get moisture is by pulling it out of the air. Low humidity is one of the causes of excessive itching that bothers many people during the wintertime.
• Hot Showers
Hot showers can strip away the skin's natural oils, according to some studies. But, it could also be the chemicals commonly found in public tap water. Chloramines, for example, are particularly drying. If you think about the way your skin looks after swimming in a chlorinated pool, you'll get the idea.
• Sun and Wind
The sun can be drying. However, it is needed for the body to produce vitamin D. So humidity may have something to do with the effect that the sun has on your skin's hydration.
The wind is always drying. Chapping, which is accompanied by dryness and redness, occurs quickly when you go out in the wind, unless you bring along some protection. You will learn about how to protect against dryness and how to solve dryness issues in my next article.
