How to heal dehydrated skin

How to wash and moisturize

1. 1Wash gently. Use warm water and a gentle, fragrance free cleanser. Limit baths and showers to five to ten minutes, and avoid building up a thick lather.
2. 2Pat dry instead of rubbing. Apply moisturizer immediately afterward, while your skin is still damp.
3. 3Smooth moisturizer onto your skin gently in the direction of hair growth rather than rubbing vigorously. Leave it to absorb.
4. 4Moisturize in the morning, before bed and after washing. Reapply whenever your skin feels dry or tight; emollients can be used three or four times daily, or more often as needed.
5. 5Keep application clean. Wash your hands first, and use a clean spoon or spatula rather than fingers to remove moisturizer from a tub.

Emollient soap substitutes clean without normal soap's foam, so the bubbles are not the cleaning department.3

Which moisturizer should you use?

Choose a fragrance free moisturizer intended for the area you are treating. Glycerin attracts moisture, while ingredients such as petroleum jelly and mineral oil help retain it. Creams are less greasy and practical for daytime; ointments are thicker and useful for very dry skin or overnight use. Lotions spread easily over hairy areas but are less moisturizing. Do not use ointments on weeping skin.234

Emollient is another word for moisturizer: these treatments form a protective layer that traps moisture and helps skin repair. Leave on moisturizers stay on the skin, so rinsing them away gives the product a very short career.4

Stop the things that keep drying skin out

Pause nonprescription retinoids and avoid fragranced products and harsh soaps while skin is excessively dry. A bedroom humidifier can help in dry air; clean it regularly to prevent mold. Protect hands with gloves during wet chores and in cold weather. For body dryness, choose loose cotton clothing instead of rough fabrics rubbing directly against skin. Outdoors, use broad spectrum, water resistant SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, shade and protective clothing.1

What should improve, and when do you need help?

Moisturizers soften rough skin, help prevent cracking and support its protective outer layer. Excessively dry skin sometimes needs a tailored treatment rather than more of the same cream. A dermatologist can select ingredients such as ceramides, urea or glycerol and treat an underlying condition. Most people with excessively dry skin heal when they follow their prescribed treatment plan.25

Stop using a moisturizer that makes skin itchy or sore. Seek advice for persistent burning, stinging, new rashes or inflamed hair follicles. See a dermatologist if dryness does not improve or keeps returning, particularly with cracking or bleeding. If you use a prescribed skin treatment, ask which product goes first; leave 30 minutes between moisturizer and a topical steroid. Keep emollients and fabrics carrying their residue away from flames and cigarettes, including with paraffin free products.234