Managing Dry Skin

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For many of us mere mortals, dry skin can sometimes become the bane of our lives. In the summer months, the sun takes its toll due to the constant outdoor exposure. Even while driving in our cars, we are exposed to the sun's rays. In winter, we have the reverse and the cold winter weather often results in the skin becoming cracked, flaky and scaly.

Our beautiful weather certainly brings its own problems.

Being a woman who has inherited the above skin type has forced me to become rather skillful in looking after the extremely dry skin on both my body and face. I inherited this skin type from my Mother. One can diagnose a very dry skin by a scaly, flaky and dehydrated appearance. Of course this could be due to being constantly in the sun but could also be due to one’s genetic makeup, allergies to certain foodstuffs and in some instances medications and certain medical treatments may also cause the flaky, dry appearance.

It never fails to amaze me the amount of body moisturizers on the market. What should we choose? Years ago my mom would apply olive oil to my dry patches. Even coconut oil applied liberally all over the body was the order of the day.
Today we are lucky to have a large selection of emollients (creams or ointments that rehydrate and soothe the skin). One of my favourite products is the Eucerin Bath & Shower Therapy. This is a wonderful soap substitute when lathered with warm water in the bath or shower. Using the “normal” toilet soap only serves to perpetuate one’s dry skin. Therefore I highly recommend a soap substitute such as the Eucerin Therapy which prevents further dryness. Should you prefer using soap, a plain white soap is recommended as it appears to cause less allergies than “coloured” soap.

After bathing and drying the body why not use a Rich Nourishing body moisturizer that will help to soften, sooth and relieve the dry skin.One should also be aware that washing powders and fabric softeners should be selected carefully. Try to purchase a brand that is hypo-allergenic. Personally I use sunlight flakes in my washing machine and use a softener specifically for babies as this appears to be less harsh. These products can be purchased at any reputable super-market.

It is quite a challenge trying to keep my face well-nourished. I have found that it’s totally unnecessary to plaster layer upon layer of moisturizer on the face. While trying out various moisturizes I was under the misapprehension that “more is better”. How wrong I was! Despite adding one layer on top of another, my face would be dry and itchy within a few hours of application. My advice is to try out several hypo-allergenic cosmetic brands (try to get samples) before purchasing. Stick to the one that works for you and one application twice a day should then do the trick.

At my age the RegimA Collagen 111 Booster followed by Stem Cell Activator are an excellent treatment combination. This should be applied twice a day followed by a good moisturiser.Collagen is the primary building block connecting the cells in the body. It provides structural support of cells in the human body. As one gets older the collagen begins to break down resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles. The Stem Cell Activator also helps to promote and preserve a more youthful renewal vitality of the skin and wrinkles should be significantly reduced.

Most importantly, don’t ever go out in the sun without using some form of sun protection. Always wear a hat and cover any exposed skin with a good sun protection. Usually a product with a factor 30 is quite sufficient.
In one of my future articles I will discuss the benefits of using collagen and stem-cell activators on the face.

Until then take care.
Mary-Anne W