How do you treat dehydrated skin?

Why does skin lose moisture?

Your skin's outer layer forms a barrier, and its natural oil, called sebum, helps limit water loss. Harsh soaps, scrubbing and excessive bathing can remove that protection. Dry weather, central heating, wind and sun can also increase water loss. Older skin often produces less sebum, which makes dryness more likely.2

Emollients are moisturizing treatments that cover the skin with a protective film and reduce water loss. For mild dryness, more regular moisturizing is often enough. If dryness comes from an underlying condition such as eczema, treating that condition is also necessary; moisturizer alone does not replace the rest of the treatment plan.123

How should you wash and moisturize?

1. 1Wash gently. Avoid harsh soaps, bubble baths and scrubbing. Use a gentle cleanser or an emollient intended as a soap substitute.
2. 2Shorten your bath or shower. Lukewarm water is recommended for dry, eczema prone skin. Avoid exposing dry skin to direct heat.
3. 3Gently dry your skin, leaving it slightly damp. Apply moisturizer immediately after bathing rather than waiting until the skin has dried completely.
4. 4Smooth the moisturizer over your skin instead of rubbing vigorously. For emollients, smooth in the direction the hair grows.
5. 5Reapply when dry areas need it. Include your hands after washing, rather than treating moisturizing as something that only happens after a shower.

How often should you apply moisturizer?

Moisturize every day, not only during winter. Very dry skin can need an emollient two to four times a day, or as directed by a doctor. Some dry skin conditions need application up to four or five times daily. If you have a prescribed plan, use that frequency rather than replacing it with a fixed morning and evening routine.146

Separate supplies at home and work can make regular moisturizing easier, because a jar cannot commute on your behalf. If applying moisturizer often enough is difficult, or you cannot reach an affected area, tell your dermatologist so the plan can be adjusted to something you can follow.13

Which moisturizer should you choose?

Choose a texture you will use often enough. Greasy moisturizers can be uncomfortable under clothing, while lighter lotions are more comfortable but can need more frequent application. You can use different emollients for your face, hands and body rather than expecting one texture to suit every area.17

For excessively dry skin, a dermatologist can select a moisturizer containing ingredients such as glycerol, ceramides, urea or lactic acid. The right combination helps hydrate skin and restore its outer layer. Ingredient choice and amount matter, and some people need a prescription moisturizer. There is no single ingredient list that replaces assessing the cause of severe dryness.3

Emollients are available from supermarkets and pharmacies, so the shopping list does not need a luxury department. An expensive cream is not automatically better than a cheaper one, even if the jar looks qualified to give financial advice. A pharmacist can help you choose an option and suggest an alternative if your current moisturizer starts irritating your skin.126

What if your skin is sensitive or eczema prone?

For eczema prone skin, choose mild, fragrance free cleansing products and a fragrance free moisturizer. Unscented is not the same as fragrance free: an unscented product can contain fragrance used to cover other smells. For nummular eczema, which causes spots and patches, a hypoallergenic cream or ointment is preferred to a lotion.4

For atopic eczema, leave on moisturizers should avoid sodium lauryl sulphate, or SLS, because prolonged contact can irritate dermatitis. Moisturizing should continue even when the skin feels comfortable. Special bath and shower emollients did not improve childhood eczema more than leave on emollients alone, so a separate bath product is not an essential addition for that purpose.67

What else helps keep moisture in?

If indoor air feels dry, increasing humidity can help; a humidifier is one option. Keep dry skin away from direct heat. Repeated exposure to water or harsh chemicals at work can also keep dryness going, so protection needs to be part of treatment. For eczema prone hands, waterproof gloves with cotton liners are recommended for chores such as washing dishes and cleaning.34

How long does improvement take?

Eczema caused by very dry skin, called asteatotic eczema, often responds rapidly to treatment. Thick emollients such as petroleum jelly or an oily cream are used several times daily, and a thinner moisturizer can be enough after a few days. That timing is specific to this form of eczema, not a deadline for every case of dehydrated skin. Continuing to prevent dryness matters because this eczema is likely to return if the skin dries out again.5

When should you stop or get medical help?

Stop a moisturizer that causes a skin reaction and ask a pharmacist about an alternative. See a doctor for widespread dry, cracked, itchy skin that persists beyond two weeks. Excessively dry skin also needs treatment because untreated skin has a greater risk of infection, and prolonged scratching can cause thick, persistently itchy patches.123

If skin is sore and inflamed, a doctor can assess whether a topical corticosteroid is needed to reduce inflammation. Follow the medicine's directions rather than using it as a moisturizer. For contact dermatitis, apply the emollient first and wait around 30 minutes before the corticosteroid unless your doctor instructs otherwise. New severe dryness can also be linked to medicines, including isotretinoin and diuretics; mention your medicines when seeking assessment.15

Some emollients are a fire hazard, particularly when paraffin based products soak into clothing. Keep them away from naked flames. Emollients can also make baths, showers and skin slippery, so take care getting in and out.17