The first time out in my swimsuit last summer, I was self-conscious for a whole new reason. It wasn’t about my stomach or how my butt looked. It was about my skin. My brother-in-law teased that he needed an extra pair of sunglasses to look at my legs.
I’m Irish. I either burn or freckle. There’s no such thing as a tan in my world.
My legs were their normal super pale color, but this time they were ashy from dry skin too. The dry skin made me look even paler (if that was even possible). So instead of being self-conscious about heading out in my bathing suit, I was hesitant to bare my legs.
After wearing jeans much of the summer, on one hot day, I decided enough was enough. I was going to heal my dry skin. The ashy skin needed to go. The accompanying itchiness was super annoying too. I may be pale, but I don’t need white, dry skin making me look any paler than I already was.
Today, my legs are still pale, but they are soft and moisturized. I don’t even moisturize every day.
Here are 7 tips for combating dry skin and bringing back the glow of your skin.
10 Everyday Tips To Tackle Dry Skin
1. Shower Less Often
I bet you shower every day – maybe more than once a day. I used to do the same thing.
Showering too often strips the oils that keep your skin moisturized. I recommend showering every other day. Your skin will then retain its moisture naturally. If you must shower daily, make it fast, use cool water, and only use soap in body parts that are prone to smell, like armpits.
It’s only in the past 20 years that we started bathing daily. This is mainly because of clever marketing by soap manufacturers; the more product we use, the more money they make.
2. Skip Hot Water
Hot water strips oils from your skin much faster than cool or lukewarm water. I recommend showering with lukewarm water. You can shower with cool water if you can tolerate it.
3. Take Short Showers
The longer you shower, the more moisture you strip from your skin. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and get out once the time goes off.
4. Choose A Gentle Soap
Use a gentle soap – I prefer old-fashioned, handmade soap. Most store-bought soaps are actually detergents created from petroleum. They strip your skin of essential nutrients.
Look for real soap and something unscented. Fragrance in soaps is often harsh on the skin, causing irritation.
5. Moisturize Right After Showering
Your skin is like a sponge when you get out of the shower. It effectively soaks up the moisturizer you apply. I’ve experimented with this quite a bit.
It is essential to moisturize right after toweling off. Your pores will then be open and soak up the moisturizer.
6. Pick The Right Moisturizer
Moisturizers are not all the same. I recommend something specifically for dry skin.
Better yet, moisturize with olive oil or coconut oil. It’s a simple and cheap alternative. Plus, it works more effectively than store-bought moisturizers. The only downside is that you’ll have to wait a little while for it to be absorbed by your skin. Be careful to not stain your clothing.
I make my own lotions and moisturizers. Homemade lotions are surprisingly simple to make and very effective at healing dry skin.
Skip fragrances and dyes in moisturizers – they cause irritation.
7. Drink A Lot Of Water
Hydration is key to moisturized skin. Moisturizing comes from the inside out. If you are chronically dehydrated, your skin will look dull and dry.
Proper hydration is essential for glowing skin.
8. Use Body Scrubs
Exfoliation is essential for shedding dry skin. But exfoliating too often will aggravate the issue. Exfoliate once a week. Exfoliation is super simple. You can make your own moisturizing body scrub. It will do a great job moisturizing your skin and exfoliating.
Just mix white table sugar with coconut oil, and rub it on your clean skin. Then, rinse and towel off. Don’t wash your skin after using the scrub, or you’ll strip the moisture from your skin. If you want to make a scrub for your face, use brown sugar in place of white table sugar. Table sugar is too harsh for your face’s delicate skin.
Be cautious in the shower; it can make your floor very slippery.
9. Protect Your Skin
Excessive sun exposure can dry out your skin. Cover up or avoid times when the sun’s rays are most harsh. In winter, make sure to keep your skin covered in cold, windy conditions.
10. Check Your Indoor Humidity
Use a humidifier to make sure the air in your home is not too dry. If you have to choose, the bedroom is the best place to use a humidifier.
Get Tackling Your Dry Skin
These simple tips can be set into motion today. So what are you waiting for? Get started!
You should see considerable improvement in your skin in a short time.
