Many people prefer to consult a dermatologist in order to deal with their dry skin problem. Most dermatologists prescribe antibiotics and other forms of artificial treatments. You are especially advised to concentrate on your diet. A series of light yet effective exercises is also recommended.

The visits to a skin clinic or a dermatologist may last depending on how grave your skin problem really is. Most of the times, it is handled in a matter of weeks. Sometimes it can extend to a period of four to six months.

If you think that your dry skin problem is not that severe and you are a person who prefers natural cures to artificial solutions, the best thing for you to do is make facial masks using inexpensive food items found in your refrigerator basket. You can even try different combinations of these various products.

The main advantage of using natural solutions is they do not have any secondary or side effects very much unlike the commercial treatments which can prove to be extremely harsh on your body. Another advantage of natural cures is they are inexpensive and saves you the trips to a dermatologist or a skin clinic while providing you with similar solutions.

The only disadvantage of using a natural treatment process is the time required for the cure. Commercial treatments with all the artificial means to eradicate your dry skin problem give you instant results. While on the other hand, natural solutions require a lot of time to show actual results. This is not to deny the fact that they even last longer. The gain of natural cures is much more in the long term. Thus it is an effective preventive cure for dry skin.

The oil glands in the normal skin provide moisture to the skin thereby keeping it supple and smooth. They help to keep the moisture within the layer of the skin. When the topmost layer loses all its moisturizing agents and water retention as well, it tends to become dry and lose elasticity.

You know you have dry skin when:

• You see red patches over it.
• There is a tightening sensation
• It has cracks and is flaky and scaly
• Its pores are invisible

These signs are mainly observed on the knees, fingers and elbows. There is a lot of space for dirt, bacteria and other chemicals to seep into the skin and further aggravate the problem.

Some of the dry skin problems caused by use of heavy make up and use of strong soaps can be dealt with when one stops using these substances. Others are likely to cause permanent damage to the skin. Many a times, the problem of dry skin is due to genetic factors and runs across from generation to generation. In such a case where you are well aware that you are likely to face a dry skin problem, you need to make sure you take in the right kind of preventive measures. Focusing on your diet is the most important thing in this direction. You need to drink a lot of water as well to improve the blood circulation in the body. Use a humidifier in case you are living in an overheated apartment. Avoid extreme temperatures at all costs. It takes time for the skin to accustom itself to its surrounding conditions.

Understand the texture and nature of your skin and treat it with care and respect.

The artificial moisture laden lotions tend to suppress the production of natural moisture as well, thus leaving the skin drier than before. Moreover, these lotions applied on the surface barely reach the second and the third layer of skin where the natural moisture actively dwells.

All this points in only one direction: in order to prevent dryness of the skin you need to produce more natural moisture. This can be successfully accomplished by many products that have a high content of Aloe Vera or Olive oil in them. These lotions have worked notably to combat dry skin problems. Moreover, a sort of shielding lotion is also gaining popularity these days. A shielding lotion attempts to bond with the topmost layer of the skin to prevent the perpetrators of dry skin to come in contact with the skin. Thus, by taking care of the irritants, it gives space for the natural moisture to produce and keep the skin moisturized and hydrated.

This is a newly discovered technique but it is gaining popularity because it seems to have worked effectively on a large number of people.

You cannot avoid the situations that can cause the perpetrators of dry skin to express them. But it is possible to fight these perpetrators effectively because of the shielding lotion.

The market is loaded with conventional lotions who claim to be better than one another. You need to realize that these are not good for the skin in the long run.

There are different kinds of vitamins responsible for healthy skin:

Vitamin A: the retinol and the beta carotene forms of Vitamin A are the most essential for healthy glowing skin. Vitamin A plays a decisive role in production and reparation of skin cells. Lack of Vitamin A can also lead to dry hair, dry eyes and broken nails. It is important to realize that excess amounts of Vitamin A especially the beta carotene form can be detrimental to the skin as well.

Vitamin A is found in many vegetables like carrots, spinach, peas and fruits like apricots, oranges etc. Fortified juices and many cereals, supplements and multivitamins also contain a healthy dose of vitamin A

Vitamin E: is known to moisturize the skin from within thus making it smooth and preventing dry spots. The sources of Vitamin E include corn, wheat germ, carrots, oats, sunflower oil and asparagus.

Vitamin D: is extremely important for the skin. While harsh sunlight and heat is detrimental to the skin, the early morning sunlight is extremely beneficial to the skin. The sources of Vitamin D are sunlight, fortified milk and cereals.

A diet aimed at increasing the intake of vitamins in the body can help a great deal to heal dry damaged skin. Vitamin supplements can also compensate for the loss of vitamins in the body. However, it is advisable to stick to more natural ways acquiring vitamins.

Many people suffer from dry skin the reasons for which could be varied from being attributed to the climate, pollutants, medical problems, and even to bathing with harsh soaps. One of the best ways to get rid of dry skin is to understand what the cause to dry skin is and if it is due to some lifestyle habit this needs to be altered or eliminated so that it will have a significant effect on reducing symptoms of dry skin.

In addition to correcting lifestyle habits, one might gain benefit from using some dry skin products like a moisturizer. A dry skin moisturizer is of some importance in alleviating symptoms of dry skin as it will help keep the skin hydrated and prevent loss of moisture from the skin.

There are many different types of dry skin moisturizers available in the market today some beneficial and some even harmful to the skin. For this reason, one should be very careful while assessing and purchasing a moisturizer for use against dry skin as there are some harmful products that can cause more harm and increase the symptoms of dry skin rather than reducing the symptoms.

So, while purchasing a dry skin moisturizer one should definitely have a look at the ingredients in the product and avoid any product that has harmful ingredients in it like alcohol, petrolatum, unnecessary synthetic fragrances, mineral oils, paraben, etc. Some of these ingredients are used in the product to help preserve the product better while can have untoward adverse effects on the skin when used.

In order to get the best benefits of a dry skin moisturizer while avoiding any adverse side effects, it is best to avoid the use of products that have synthetic or harmful components in it and stick to the use of products that have more amounts of active natural ingredients in them. These will not only have a beneficial action on reducing symptoms of dry skin, it will also have other favorable actions in keeping your skin soft and supple.

Some of the active natural ingredients that you can look for in a dry skin moisturizer will include the presence of Vitamins A and E, keratin, hyaluronic acid, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), aloe vera, jojoba oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, shea butter, avocado, macadamia, etc.

The dry skin moisturizer could be water based or oil based in nature. Depending on the severity of the dry skin, the appropriate moisturizer needs to be picked up. If the symptoms are more severe, oil based moisturizers can be used.

These are more preferred to be used right after taking bath when the skin is still damp so that whatever moisture is present in the skin is retained without drying. The water based dry skin moisturizers can be used at other times of the day when any signs of dry skin are felt.
There are even some moisturizers that come in combination with sunscreens. These can also be opted for if you have an active life where you need to be outdoors for several hours in a day as overexposure to the sun can have hazardous effects on your skin as well as cause a worsening of symptoms of dry skin.

If there are other severe symptoms of dry skin, the use of only a dry skin moisturizer might not help. It may need the use of other dry skin products too to help reduce the symptoms. If symptoms still persist, it is best not to delay and seek immediate medical help before the symptoms turn too severe.