Dry skin is frustrating, not only because it’s uncomfortable but also because it can be confusing to figure out why it’s happening. Rather than spending money on expensive lotions and creams, take some time to figure out why exactly your skin is so dry in the first place. Here are 5 simple reasons that your skin is dry.
1. The Climate in Your Home
If it’s winter where you live, you’ve probably thought of this culprit already, but don’t forget to take the climate inside your home into account as well as the weather outside. Running a home AC or heating system can make the air in your home especially dry, which will dry out your skin overnight even if you don’t spend a lot of time at home. Because of this, don’t be constantly running the AC or heat. Keep it on auto instead of the “on” button so that your skin can catch a break from the temperature high or low that you are trying to create.
One thing that you may want to think about getting is a humidifier for your home. These come in many shapes, sizes and price points, and they give you control over how much moisture there is in the air at home. This is especially important if you live in a cold area and end up turning the heat on often.
2. Your Water is Too Hard
Believe it or not, sometimes water itself causes your skin to become dry. The “hardness” of water—or the amount of minerals in it—varies from county to county, and it makes a huge difference for your skin. All those minerals that hard water contains leave a residue on your skin. While not noticeable to the naked eye, that residue clogs pores and prevents moisture from being able to penetrate.
Luckily, you don’t have to accept whatever water comes out of your tap. Professional water softeners from a reputable plumbing company, such as Five Star Plumbing, can remove minerals from your water, improving not only your skin but also your hair, dishes, appliances and other items.
3. You’re Using Too Much Soap
The urge to cleanse your skin regularly is a good and hygienic one, but too much of a good thing can actually harm your skin. By its very nature, soap strips the moisture away from skin. Heavily fragranced soaps are even more drying. If your skin is prone to becoming dry, simply switching out soaps, face washes and detergents can make a huge difference.
Use a mild, gentle soap, both in the shower and on your clothes—this is important because your clothes are constantly touching your body and can have an effect on your skin. That way you can get clean each day without worsening your skin’s condition. Of course, moisturizing afterward helps too. If you are very prone to dry skin, getting something with shea butter in it might be something that you should consider using as it is well-known for its ability to moisturizing qualities.
4. Your Showers Are Too Long
It might seem strange that water can dry out your skin, but hot water actually does. Water removes the oils that are naturally on your skin, so you’ll feel drier once you step out. If you routinely take very long showers or baths, that may be the root of your skin problem.
Long showers are certainly soothing to the soul. Still, if it’s resulting in drier skin, it may not be worth it. Try using lukewarm water or cutting your shower time down to a few minutes and see if it helps.
5. Your Makeup is Too Rough on Your Skin
This particular point is more so for women, but it is also for any men who choose to wear makeup as well. No judgements!
Makeup is typically something that we put on our faces every single day. Perhaps we apply it to our skin more than once each day as well. After all, we want to constantly be making sure that we look good! That’s why we lather on face primer, concealer, foundation, face powder, blemish cream, blush, bronzer, and any other type of powder or cream that we could possibly get our hands on.
If you constantly deal with dry skin, however, you should make sure that you’re using makeup that is hydrating and has a moisturizing solution. Usually, such makeup products say on the description that they help with hydration and moisturization, and so you’ll want to look for that. You should also look for creamy textures as those will typically be good for you as well.
The good news is that each one of these reasons is entirely preventable with a little effort. Which one of these reasons sounds like it might be the culprit? Think about what steps you can take to remedy it once and for all.