Our skin comprises approximately 20% of water. Flaky skin is seen when there is loss in both oil and water content of skin. As both oil and water is lost from the skin, the cells on the superficial layer dies and start to peel off as thin silver flakes.
You can overcome this lack of moisture and oil content of the skin using home remedies or moisturisers.
In this article we are going to mention home remedies for dry flaky skin.
What causes flaky skin?
Cold dry air outside during the winters is usually the cause for dry flaky skin, lack of humidity, excessive exposure to heat, hot showers, saunas, dehydration is also a cause for skin dryness.
Flaky skin is also symptom for certain skin disorders like eczema, Xerosis, dermatitis, fungal and yeast infections, stress, dehydration, allergic reactions, dandruff, genetic disorders, psoriasis etc.
How to get rid of flaky skin:
You can use home remedies or over the counter medication to get rid of flaky skin.
While home remedies help you prevent the development of flaky skin, medications helping in soothing the prevailing symptoms.
Precautions to be taken if you have dry skin:
Avoid using fragrant cleansers on your skin.
Avoid using products containing alcohol specially for your face.
Deodorant soaps, antibacterial soaps are harsh for skin on your face and make it drier.
Apply a moisturizer after your washing face.
The steam from hot water causes the pores to open up and dry out the skin therefore it is advisable to avoid using hot water for showers and use lukewarm water instead.
Don’t rub your face with face when drying. Pat dry using a soft towel this helps to preserve moisture.
Avoid using creams and cleansers with AHA, alcohol, perfumes.
Use a mild exfoliant to remove the dead skin cells.
Use an anti-inflammatory topical agent to heal your skin.
If the condition worsens seek immediate medical attention and consult your dermatologist.
Home remedies for flaky skin:
It is better to opt for home remedies first when trying to get rid of flaky skin as they comprise of natural products which don’t have any harsh chemicals or preservatives in them unlike over the counter drugstore preparations.
Home remedies are simple, easy to use, have significantly lesser side effects in comparison to the OTC skincare preparations, they comprise of natural kitchen staple ingredients that are readily available at hand.
Here we are going to mention few simple home remedies to help you treat your flaky skin
Coconut Oil:
The wondrous, versatile ingredient has excellent emollient property and helps in locking in moisture hence keeping the skin hydrated.
Warm a tablespoon of coconut oil and apply it on your face gently.
You can also use it on other effected areas.
Use this twice a day to obtain best results.
Essential Oils:
There are various essential oils which when incorporated in our skincare regimen help to get rid of dry skin, flaky skin and leave you with hydrated supple skin.
Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, Frankincense oil, Rose oil.
Mix three to four drops of your chosen essential oil in your regular moisturizer or in coconut oil and apply it to your face and allow it to dry.
Use this twice daily for efficient results.
Always mix your essential oil in a carrier oil or moisturizer as essential oils are potent and concentrated and cause unwanted reactions.
Olive Oil:
Olive oil has phenols that have skin barrier repairing properties. Like coconut oil, olive oil also is an emollient.
Take a tablespoon of olive oil in your palms and apply a thin layer to your face.
Using this once daily preferably at bedtime will help you heal you skin.
Honey:
Honey has skin soothing properties that help in treating conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis.
Apply a thin layer of honey on the affected areas and leave it on for 20-30minutes.
Wash it off and pat dry your face.
Doing this twice will show beneficial results.
Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Wrinkles Using Coconut Oil
Yoghurt:
Lactic acid in the yoghurt helps to kills bacteria causing dry skin. Yoghurt has antioxidant andanti inflammatory properties that help in soothing and healing dry skin.
Apply yoghurt to your face, legs and hands and leave it on for 10minutes.
Then take a shower or wash it off. Do this once a week.
You can also mix honey, lemon juice or papaya with yoghurt to get desired result.
Aloevera:
This magical succulent plant has beneficial skin soothing, anti fungal, antiseptic and skin repairing properties which help in treating your dry and flaky skin. Aloevera forms a protective layer over your skin and locks in the moisture.
Cut a leaf of aloevera in half and squeeze out the gel. Apply this gel to your skin and and allow it to sit for 10-15minutes. Wash this with lukewarm water and use it twice daily.
Why is my skin so dry even when I moisturize it?
At times no remedies, skin care regimens, medications, creams or lotions seem to help in getting rid of dry flaky skin. This is when you need to focus at what you might be doing wrong and what is the cause for your skin to be dry even though you are doing everything right.
Here are few things that may have gone wrong leading to persistent dry skin despite all the moisturization:
- Using a harsh cleanser: cleansing is an important step in skin care. Using a cleanser that harsh chemicals and is not suitable for your skin type is often a cause for skin to remain dry.
Cleansing milks ,lotion and creams are light weighted and ideal for dry skin where as cleansing gels and foams are more suitable for people with oily skin. Few cleansers have exfoliants in them to help in removing the dirt and dead skin cells which although beneficial has a negative effect on skin. the gritty exfoliant particles in the cleanser wipe out the moisture and oil content of the skin leaving dry and flaky.
Hence, it is very important to keep an eye on the ingredients of the product and making sure that you are using it in right amount and in right manner.
- Dead skin cell buildup: our skin is under constant regeneration and growth throughout our life. add in the harsh environmental factors like humidity, heat, pollution and smoke the dead skin cell start to accumulate and buildup on the skin, if not exfoliated or removed they make the product penetration into the skin difficult leaving you with dry flaky skin inspite of using moisturizer. To avoid this it is important to exfoliate and remove the dead skin cell debris off the skin.
Exfoliation is a very important part of skincare regimen. Using a gentle and mild scrub depending on your skin type once a week will help you in getting rid of not only dry skin but also clean out the breakouts and fine lines.
- Less water consumption: skin is the largest organ of our body, despite of this it is not considered as most essential organ this is the reason why when our body feels lack of water or when we don’t consume enough water it starts taking water from skin and other nonessential organs. This leads to skin getting insufficient water and becoming dehydrated. Therefore it is very important to keep your water intake in check inorder to avoid dry skin, flaky skin.
- Moisturizing at wrong time: skincare comprises of a pattern in which each product has to be used, if this is not followed correctly you will not get your desired result. Cleanser, toner and serum each thing is to be used in a pattern and in correct manner.
Moisturizer comes in as the last product of your skin care routine. No matter products you are using always end with a moisturizer this will help you lock in the moisture content and heal your effectively.
How to cure dry skin on face overnight?
.Skin heals the best during night time and hence it is advised to moisturize your skin efficiently during night time.
Although it is not possible to heal dry skin overnight there are few things you could do to improve and enhance your skin healing process.
Use an overnight facemask:
Overnight facemasks are made with products that help your skin to heal by keeping it hydrated and by keeping the moisture content locked in. A hydrating overnight mask gives your skin long lasting hydration effect.
Use coconut oil:
Coconut oil has deep moisturizing property making it perfect to be used as an overnight dry skin cure. It helps in nourishing, hydrating your skin making it soft and radiant.
Heal with hyaluronic acid:
Hyaluronic acid is a natural acid which helps in retaining moisture in the skin. using hyaluronic infused product as your skin regimen help you in healing in your skin and hydrating it.
These remedies and tips can surely help you fight your battle against dry and flaky skin. If you see there is no improvement in the condition or that the condition of skin has worsen consult a dermatologist immediately and find the root cause of the problem
