Health and Beauty

Skin is not dry because it lacks oil, but because it lacks water. Only a lucky few have ‘normal’ skin; the rest of us have a dry, oily or combination variety; if dryness is your problem, read on.

Dry skin happens more often in the winter where the cold air outside and the hot air inside creates a low relative humidity.

Skin contains the hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, apocrine glands and blood vessels. The average square inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes, and more than a thousand nerve endings. Skin is considered one of the most important parts of the body.

The outermost layer of epidermis consists of 25 to 30 layers of dead cells. The epidermis contains no blood vessels, and cells in the deepest layers are nourished by diffusion from blood capillaries extending to the upper layers of the dermis.

The epidermis can be further subdivided into the following strata (beginning with the outermost layer): corneum, lucidum (only in feet), granulosum, spinosum, and basale.

Bathing or showering too frequently, especially if one is using harsh soaps, may also contribute to xeroderma (dry skin). Xeroderma can also be caused by a deficiency of vitamin A, systemic illness, overexposure to sunlight or some medications. Dry skin is common.

Apply moisturizers just after a bath or shower, when your skin is still damp. Use as little soap as possible limiting its use to armpits and genitals. Dry your skin gently and thoroughly, patting not rubbing.

Drink plenty of water, a minimum of a quart a day. The two most common, sluggish, digestion culprits that affect your skin are not enough water and not enough fiber. Put two tablespoons of coconut oil in your smoothies. Eat at least one organic apple with the skin on every day. Fatty acids are particularly important to people with dry skin.

Use coconut oil to remove your make-up at night, like I do; it leaves a fine layer of oil to nourish your skin all night long. If you also have eczema or acne, coconut oil will treat those skin conditions too.

It just takes motivation, a willingness to try it, and diligent application of coconut oil several times daily and at bedtime to see its benefits. Apply a thin layer of coconut oil and massage it deep into the skin.

The skin must be regularly cleaned or it’ll become cracked or inflamed. Dry skin can be converted into healthy skin using natural home remedies.

Unclean skin favors the development of pathogenic organisms – the dead cells that continually slough off of the epidermis mix with the secretions of the sweat and sebaceous glands and the dust found on the skin to form a filthy layer on its surface.

Continue using coconut oil and the benefits of good, clear skin, free of dryness and other skin conditions should be your reward .You should see the results with improved skin within a few days following this advice. Make sure to call your dermatologist when you have any open cuts or sores from scratching that won’t heal.

Tags: dry skin, dry skin care, Skin Care

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 9th, 2007 at 8:37 pm and is filed under Healthy Skin. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.