Dry Skin Care

Reasons for dry skin include a variety of conditions such as too much sun, windburn, harsh soaps and cleansers, aging and even diet. Insufficient water can dry your skin overnight. Start working on dry skin problems by increasing your water intake.

Vitamins and Natural Oils that May Help Dry Skin

Drinking lots of water is one remedy for dry skin, but if your skin is very dry, you may need additional help. You may have noticed that many skin care creams contain vitamins: although Vitamin E has been shown to work externally to correct dry skin, most other vitamins don't have a noticeable effect. Look for Vitamin E enriched skin creams, and increase its effects by also taking Vitamin E capsules, which help strengthen skin from the inside.
Another benefit of taking Vitamin E is that it works on the skin all over your body—hands, feet, face and everything in between. Other natural remedies for dry skin include Evening Primrose oil, flaxseed oil or Omega 3 oils derived from fish. All of these nutritional supplements have been shown to increase skin's elasticity, its rebuilding capacity and its moisture. You can get these treatments at any health food store, and most pharmacies carry them too.

Moisturize After Showers or Handwashing

Moisturizer is the key to soft, supple skin. Apply product when skin is slightly damp. For best effect, pat skin dry instead of rubbing with your towel before application.

The skin on my legs can drive me crazy with itchiness all year round. I find I prefer oils to lotions on for the body. Renowned makeup artist Pati Lubroff got me hooked on organic extra virgin coconut oil, which you can buy in health food stores or online. Simply massage the coconut oil all over the body. Trust me, this will get rid of dry, itchy skin and the oil isn't sticky like lotion tends to be.

Antibacterial soap in public places can be harsh on hands, so I like to keep hand salve in my purse (my hands-down favorite: Kiehls). To keep cuticles soft, massage in olive oil.

Extra tip: I love keeping moisturizer and facial water on my desk at work. I spritz Evian Mineral Spray , and then dab on moisturizer. The water locks in moisture and leaves my skin refreshed even in harsh office heat.

Baby Your Hands & Feet

Hands and feet can suffer terribly from dry, itchy skin. Put on moisturizer and gloves BEFORE you head outdoors in the winter, and consider lathering up your feet in thick moisturizer and sleeping in cotton socks at night. Extra tip: Cover feet in a thick moisturizer, wrap feet in Saran Wrap, then pull on a pair of socks for a couple hours. Try to sit or lie down while the moisturizer soaks in or risk sliding into a full split and pulling your groin muscles. The same treatment can be done on hands, except try plastic bags and keep hands in a pair of socks. A half-hour should do you

Consider Fish Oil Pills

New studies show omega-3 fish oil pills may soothe super dry skin. Patients who took fish oils pills in a study reported in Allure magazine, saw significant results within a few weeks. "You can see, within six weeks, the skin, hair and nails improve markedly," according to skin expert Dr. Andrew Weil in Allure. Ever since I started taking fish oil pills in March, 2007, I have received numerous compliments on how amazing my skin looks. So there you have it.

For Extreme Dry Skin Treatment and Relief

Extreme dry skin can get relief through intensive therapy by way of daytime moisturizer lotion, night creams and increased home humidity. If you suffer from dry facial skin or dry skin all over your body, especially in winter, it may be because the heat in your house is drying you out. Try putting a cool mist humidifier in your bedroom at night, and you may see a difference in a few days. A popular home remedy for dryness is the moisturizing facial mask. Use a half of a ripe avocado, pureed. Rinse your face with lukewarm water and apply the mask while your face is still damp. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry. Apply your favorite moisture lotion.