When we get dry and itchy skin, most of us just reach for a bottle of our favorite moisturizer and get to work applying it. While this may be fine for short term relief, most of the time this is simply addressing the symptoms and not tackling the root cause of the dry itchy skin problem.

Dry, flaky and itchy skin is not only unsightly and irritating, it’s a sign that something is wrong with our skin and the problem needs to be addressed at source if the irritation is to be banished for good.

Dry and itchy skin is also more prone to infection and inflammation and most worryingly, if left untreated it can cause your skin to age in appearance.

Of course, everyone’s situation is different, and if you have any concerns that there may be serious underlying problems with your skin, then I would always recommend that you consult a dermatologist. However, in the majority of cases, it’s simply enough to follow these simple tips to make sure that your dry skin becomes a thing of the past.

1. Stay Hydrated. You must have seen the television adverts stating the importance of staying hydrated when dealing with skin care problems, and it’s with good reason that this advice is given out. We are 70% water and our skin is the largest single organ on our body. Dry skin is one of the primary indicators that we are de-hydrated. This can happen in both the winter and summer
2. Eat More Healthy Fats – yes that’s right – I did say more fats. Of course, I’m not advocating a chocolate binge (sorry) because the kinds of fats I am speaking about are the Healthy Fats. Eat products rich in Omega 3 such as fish, avocados and olives. This makes your skin more radiant and helps with the natural hydration process
3. Avoid harsh perfumed cosmetics and cleansers. The worst offenders are those products that contain a lot of petroleum based alcohol. This synthetic alcohol dries the skin on contact and can also irritate already dry skin. Choose products instead that contain vegetable derived alcohol which is much kinder and non-drying. You should also use rich oils when having a bath rather than soaps or bubble bath. These oils trap the moisture inside your skin and aid the hydration process.
4. Make Your Own Spa. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it can be a lot of fun. Light a few candles and put on some relaxing music. Then get some good quality moisturizer that’s rich in Vitamin E and liberally apply it to your hands or feet. Finally, get some plastic bags and slip them over your hands and cover them with a woven glove or socks. Voila! Your own instant low cost deep moisturizing treatment for only a few dollars.

Skin care regimes for dry skin don’t need to be expensive or time consuming. Just follow these simple tips and get rid of that dry and itchy skin in no time at all.