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Regardless of age, gender or skin type, dry skin is a common condition that can affect anyone. Dry skin is the result of the lack of sufficient water in the outer layer of the dermis. This outermost layer of the dermis is called the stratum corneum and is responsible for minimizing water loss as well as keeping out irritants, allergens and germs. When the stratum corneum becomes dry it can no longer serve its function as a protective barrier nor can it maintain water, causing your skin to lose moisture and become vulnerable to environmental factors. It is important to treat this condition by moisturizing dry skin in order to protect your skin's health and appearance.

What is Dry Skin?

The stratum corneum should always hold a water content of between ten and thirty percent. This moisture gives the skin its smooth and flexible texture. Moisture naturally comes from a variety of sources including the environment, the underlying layers of skin as well as oil and sweat produced through your skin's glands. At a very slow rate your skin is constantly losing water to the atmosphere by evaporation, however, at about the same pace this moisture is being replaced. When water is not replaced sufficiently enough to make up for the water that is lost, and the water content of the stratum corneum drops below ten percent is when you find yourself with dry skin. To prevent further damage from this point on, it is necessary to proactively begin using another form of moisturizer.

Causes

Many factors can cause the depletion of water from the outermost layer of skin. These can include cold dry air, long hot showers, and severe soaps and cleansers. When in contact with these factors, even those who have higher tendencies genetically toward dry skin experience heightened symptoms and problems. Hot showers and harsh soaps strip skin of its natural oils while cold dry air and low humidity environments in general do not provide atmospheric moisture and dry out the stratum corneum. Water content falls as the damaged stratum corneum pulls water to the surface of the skin where it is evaporated. So, you should stay away from these factors in order to soothe dry skin as well as treat it with further moisturizing products.

Symptoms

Usual symptoms of dry skin can include redness itching, flaking, scaling and cracking. Dry skin can appear rough and dehydrated and normal lines of the skin came become more noticeable. Dry skin may turn red and itch which can cause white scales or flaking. In severely affected areas where the skin is damaged deeper than the outermost layer, the skin can break open and crack. Therefore, the need to treat and hydrate skin is vital as to avoid these damaging symptoms.

Treatment - Dry Skin Relief

So what is the best way to treat this condition? What is the best product to use? The choices of products for moisturizing dry skin can appear endless, yet very few are effective enough to fulfill the vital steps of dry skin treatment. To effectively get relief from dry skin, a moisturizer must repair the stratum corneum. The treatment needs to reverse water deficit by preventing water loss and providing moisture to reestablish sufficient water content. And last but not least, the treatment must regenerate the skin's capacity to draw in water as well as maintain that moisture. It is vital that your dry skin treatment address all these steps of treatment in order to fully restore your skin to its hydrated and healthy state.