The skin on your arm feels dull. Lifeless. You scratch it lightly with your fingernails and—whoa—it’s so dry you can write your name on your arm. Why so dry?

Dry skin is often characterized by rough skin and scaling, with small white flakes as the dead skin comes off. There may also be moderate itching. The lower legs, backs of the hands, and forearms are usually affected. As people age their skin tends to lose moisture and become dry. Prolonged bathing or showering with hot water, excessive use of soap, and low humidity increase the risk of dry skin. It is also usually more of a problem in cold weather, as sitting in front of heaters or fires can dry out the skin.

While many people are conscious of using moisturizers on their face, they tend to neglect the rest of their body. Using mild keratolytics (e.g., urea cream) to remove skin scales, humectants (e.g., glycerol) to soften the skin, and moisturizers to prevent or replace moisture loss, all help to reduce the problem of dry skin.

What can you do to alleviate dry skin?
If you have dry skin you should:
• Use hypoallergenic cosmetics.
• Bathe less frequently if necessary—once a day is plenty.
• Pat the skin dry (don’t rub it) after a bath or shower.
• Use a barrier cream if hands are frequently in water.
• Always use a soap substitute even when the skin is in good condition.

When should you seek medical advice?
You should seek medical advice if:
• Skin is broken.
• Skin is very red and inflamed.
• White patches or silvery scales are visible.
• The person affected is a child.

The super friends
Soap substitutes, moisturizers, barrier creams, anti-itch preparations, bath and shower substitutes, and supplements can all help alleviate problems associated with dry skin. Ask your pharmacist about the most suitable treatments for your skin.

Soap substitutes
Normal soap is very alkaline and can damage the skin. If you have dry skin, you should always use a soap substitute. Similarly, soaps with perfumes and lanolin may trigger allergies.

You can use aqueous cream or emulsifying ointment as a liquid soap substitute by putting a small knob into a jar, adding hot water, and shaking the jar.

Moisturizers or emollients
Moisturizers should be applied frequently. They leave a fine film over the skin that retains moisture. Ointments tend to be more effective than creams. Humectants such as glycerin, propylene glycol and phospholipids may be useful as hydrating agents. Urea and allantoin, on the other hand, are keratolytic agents that loosen cells on the top layer of skin, exposing the new, soft skin underneath.

Barrier creams
Barrier creams are useful for people who frequently have their hands in water or who have contact dermatitis. However, they can make your hands slippery.

Anti-pruritic (anti-itch) preparations
Oatmeal and tar-based pine-oil products are useful in the bath to help relieve itchy, dry skin.

Bath and shower products
Regular use of bath oil may stop the skin from producing its own oil, which can cause rebound dry skin. For this reason you should not use more than the recommended amount.

Supplements
The following supplements may also help with dry skin:
• Flaxseed oil
• Evening primrose oil
• Pine bark extract with vitamins and minerals
• Zinc
• Vitamin A

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