Definition
Dry skin usually manifests itself through itchy skin areas and scaling. Particularly frequent are those areas where the skin is very thin. Frequent washing can also lead to a disruption of the skin’s acid mantle, which further dehydrates the skin.
Introduction
Dry skin is a problem that everyone knows and most people have had it before. Especially in the cold winter months dry skin is more common. Dry skin is not only a cosmetic problem, but can also cause complaints such as itching and in some cases pain or wounds.
The dryness of the skin can cause micro cracks, which allow bacteria, viruses and fungi to penetrate it and cause infections. Especially in the cold winter months, the risk of the skin drying out is particularly high due to the dry, cold air outside and the warm, dry heating air inside. However, the skin should not be confused with neurodermatitis or psoriasis.
The skin diseases can look quite similar in the early stages, but should not be treated with household remedies but by a dermatologist. With neurodermatitis, the dry skin areas are mainly found on the elbows, back of the knee, neck, neck and face. With psoriasis, the dry areas appear mainly on the extensor sides of the arms and legs, i.e. elbows and knees, sacrum and hairy scalp.
Household remedies for external use
Freshly squeezed carrot juice has proven to be particularly effective in household remedies for external use. The affected skin areas should be regularly rubbed with the juice. After a quarter of an hour, the rubbed-in areas can be washed off thoroughly.
You can also mix buttermilk or milk with some fruit juice, for example from oranges, apples or carrots, and rub the skin thoroughly with it and then wash it off again after a while. The fruit acid acts like a fine peeling and removes the dead skin flakes. This allows the vitamins of the fruits and the moisture to penetrate better into the deep skin layers.
A mixture of lemon juice, honey and some protein can have the same effect. This mixture should be left on the affected skin for about 20 minutes and then washed off with lukewarm water. In places that are particularly sensitive or under extraordinary stress, it can also help to use deer sebum.
For example, on the feet, deer sebum is a well-tried remedy to protect the skin from heavy strain, for example when hiking. It is important to apply deer sebum to the affected areas of skin even before the strain. Also olive oil or coconut oil, distributed as a thin film on the skin, can achieve an improvement in dry skin.
In the same way, a normal baby oil from the drugstore can already lead to relief. Another proven possibility is to cut the parts of an aloe vera plant into small pieces and squeeze out its mucus. The active ingredients of the aloe vera plant can now also be found in many ointments and creams from drugstores and pharmacies.
Olive oil is not only suitable for cooking but also for skin care. Due to the antioxidants it contains, especially vitamin E, the cell walls are protected and the aging process of the tissue is delayed if used regularly and frequently. Olive oil also contains small amounts of a natural anti-inflammatory substance, oleocanthal.
This belongs to the group of cyclooxygenase inhibitors, which also includes aspirin and ibuprofen, for example. With easily inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema or psoriasis, olive oil can be used in addition to dry skin. Beyond that olive oil is suitable as make-up remover, particularly at the eye area, since it dissolves also waterproof products reliably.
In the remaining face against it it should be used reservedly, since depending upon skin type skin impurities can be provoked here. If olive oil is to be used for skin care, it is recommended to use a native, cold-pressed oil in organic quality. Coconut oil (coconut oil) has become more and more popular in recent years as a skin care product.
This is not only due to its pleasant smell but also to its skin-friendly and skin-protecting ingredients: Besides some B vitamins, it also contains vitamin C and E.The latter has a cell-wall protecting effect, since it makes so-called free radicals harmless. Lauric acid, which is also contained, also has an antimicrobial effect, i.e. it has a slightly disinfecting effect. Frequently coconut oil also natural mosquito and tick repellent has proven itself with animals and humans.
Whoever suffers from frequent bites could try to apply coconut oil before staying in the risk area. Coconut oil is sold in jars as a solid substance that melts in the hand due to its low melting point of about 23°C and feels slightly cool due to the heat absorbed. It moisturizes the skin, but is not easily absorbed, so it remains mostly on the skin.
When using coconut oil as body oil, a cold-pressed, non-refined oil should be chosen. This ensures that the vitamins it contains have not been destroyed during production. One becomes thereby mostly in Dorgeriemärkten or bio supermarkets fündig becomes.
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