Flaky Skin - Why You Should Moisturize it Daily?

When the natural moisture content of your skin begins to dry up, you experience dry skin. Although it is a temporary skin condition which occurs mainly during the winter or in a generally dry climate, for some people, it could be a problem for a lifetime.

Naturally dry skin tendencies v/s drying of other skin types
Naturally, the water content of a healthy skin is around 10 to 20 percent. This natural moisture level can dwindle due to many factors and the skin may show signs of drying. Thus you may end up getting dry, flaky, itchy and lifeless skin. People with naturally dry skin experience 75 percent more water loss than normal skin. Since the skin loses water and sebum (the oil secretion from the sebaceous glands within the skin), the topmost layer of the skin begins to dry. As a result, the top layer starts peeling away. These skin peels are called flakes.

Causes

1. You can experience dry skin due to excessively cold weather, which in most cases is accompanied by a lack of humidity.
2. Again, if your skin is exposed to too much heat or skin drying conditions like sauna baths or prolonged hot showers, you experience dry skin.
3. Applying skin cleansing materials or chemicals can also make the skin dry.
4. Some internal disorders like illness or infection can make your skin dry.

Treatment
When you have a perennially dry skin, you should moisturize it daily to keep it hydrated. You should consult a dermatologist for picking out the right skin cream for your skin. The appropriate moisturizer, if you have very dry skin should be oil or petroleum based. When you purchase the prescribed moisturizer or lotion, make sure you buy something which contains vitamin E, Shea Butter and Avocado Oil. Since these moisturizing agents aren’t water based , they can lock in the skin moisturizer effectively.

Advantages of moisturising regularly

1. Dry skin is prone to wrinkle formation – When you moisturize daily, the collagen levels of your skin are restored, which can then effectively fight wrinkling and aging of your skin.
2. Prevents flakiness – Since the upper layer of your skin starts peeling off, your skin may appear dull, lifeless and flaky. The condition worsens when there is a cold weather outside. Moisturizing your skin daily will make your skin get a natural glow and stop flaking form occurring in the first place.
3. Reduces itchiness: Moreover, daily moisturizing will make your skin less itchy.
4. Moisturising reduces the negative effects of makeup: Not moisturizing dry skin will make it look less hydrated. Applying makeup on your dry skin directly is the worst thing you can do. This may spoil your makeup and make it look creasy and broken. Thus, you should keep your skin hydrated by applying moisturiser regularly.