4 Sneaky Causes of Dry Skin, and How to Stop Them

Dry skin is awful. It itches, bleeds, stings, and results in unsightly red patches on the skin. Most commonly, this condition, also known as xerosis, happens when our skin barriers lose vita oil and water. What’s worse is that anyone, at any age, can get dry and damaged skin for a number of reasons. But, fear not. By recognizing the factors that lead to dry skin and its symptoms, you’re already well on your way to healing. Our tips will help your skin regain its softness and eliminate roughness and flaking. Dryness, begone!

What You Need to Know About Dry Skin

There are a number of symptoms of xerosis, including:

• Feeling tension in the skin
• Roughness
• Red patches
• Lackluster appearance with an ashen hue
• Fine lines or wrinkles
• Flaking
• Itching
• Stinging
• Cracking
• Bleeding

If you recognize that you have any of the above symptoms, don’t worry. You’ve already completed the first step in the healing process: recognition. Now, it’s time to get active and find solutions that suit your skin. However, you should also be aware of day-to-day activities or environmental factors that can contribute to dry skin.

Genetics, Age & Skin Diseases

Most researchers can agree that genes have a lot to do with whether or not a person suffers from chronically dry skin. Genetic skin conditions, such as psoriasis and ichthyosis, are associated with dry and damaged skin. We also know that certain diseases and conditions go hand-in-hand with dry skin, so keeping sensitive skin moisturized can be extra challenging. There’s not much you can do to change your genetic makeup, so we suggest combatting these ailments with one of our sensitive, skin-friendly moisturizers.

Medication

Believe it or not, a lot of medications contain lipid-lowering agents, which are terrible for your skin. These can be found in antidepressants, allergy pills, and (sadly) skin care prescriptions, including anti-acne drugs and corticosteroids. These medications can cause your skin to become dry and damaged, so have a chat with your dermatologist or doctor to see if you can switch over to a product that doesn’t contain these harmful ingredients.

Weather and Environment

You might not think that the environment can have an impact on your skin. But, with air pollution and rampant humidity, environmental culprits can damage your skin if you let them. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! The sun is also a huge factor in drying out and damaging your skin, so be sure to always apply sunscreen, even on overcast days.

Personal Habits & Self Care

We’ve all heard the saying “Our bodies are our temples.” Our skin is our largest organ and ultimately, we are responsible for its well-being. You can control certain factors in your life that may be negatively affecting your sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin, avoid smoking, hot showers, tanning, and harmful chemicals. Your skin barrier will certainly thank you later.

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