Homemade Cures for Extreme Dry Skin
- 1). Wash with moisturizing soap. Clean body with cleanser made with moisturizers or emollients, suggests the article "How to Cure Dry, Flaky Skin through Home Remedies" on AyurvedicCure.com.
- 2). Avoid hot water. Use warm or lukewarm water when showering or bathing, as suggested by the Mayo Clinic in its article "Dry Skin." Hot water is very drying to the skin and strips the skin of its natural oils. Also reduce bathing and showering time to "15 minutes or less."
- 3). Apply oil to the skin. Massage oil into the skin after a bath or shower when the skin is still moist. The Mayo Clinic reports, "Oil has more staying power than moisturizers do and prevents the evaporation of water from the surface of your skin." Try baby oil. Or, as suggested by AyurvedicCure.com, combine equal parts olive oil and almond oil. AyurvedicCure.com also suggests using a "good vitamin e based lotion" on the skin.
- 4). Drink a lot of water daily. Drink at least eight to 10 cups of water or water-based liquids every day to keep the body and skin hydrated. AyurvedicCure.com suggests drinking milk because this dairy product has oils and fats to keep the skin moisturized.
- 5). Add moisture to the air. Boil water in a pot on the stove or buy a humidifier. Adding moisture to the indoor air cuts down on dry skin problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.
