Most people suffer from dry skin conditions at some stage of their life, but for some the condition can become more serious or long term, having a negative impact on their self esteem and in some severe cases even limiting their type of employment. The good news is that in the vast majority of cases the causes of dry skin are unlikely to be a medical condition such as Eczema, Psoriasis or Diabetes and with a little knowledge most people can successfully develop their own dry skin remedy.

Age can be a factor in the development of dry, itchy, skin. As we age the Sebacious Glands which lie at the base of every hair follicle on our skin, begin to produce less of our skin’s natural oil, Sebum, leading to the development of patches of dryness on the body. This is often worsened by environmental conditions. Older folk tend to spend longer indoors, especially in colder Northern climates, and feel the cold more, often leading them to spend long amounts of their time in centrally heated buildings. A simple humidifier can work wonders in these cases, or in fact in any home or place of work where people spend long Winter months in a confined space.

At the other end of the age spectrum most people suffer from Acne to some degree from the onset of puberty until, in some cases, early middle age. Most Acne treatments available contain Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid, both of which are extremely drying for the skin. Try to find other, more natural remedies to help you to at least cut down on the need to resort to these strong chemicals. If you must expose your skin to harsh chemicals, say at work, always wear some form of protection for your skin. In the home replace any household cleaners and washing powders with more natural alternatives. If they say they are kinder for the environment they are usually kinder to you too!

The majority of home remedies for dry skin conditions involve the application of a cream or moisturizer, often referred to as an emollient, either applied directly to an affected area or in a ‘whole body’ application after a shower or bath. This can be the best time to apply moisturizers to the skin, whilst the pores are dilated. Alternatively a small amount of your favorite oil or oatmeal added to the bath water can be very beneficial.

For centuries Olive oil has been used in this way but others such as Almond oil were also a great favorite in parts of Asia and have the same, non irritating, properties. Avoid scented soaps and bath oils which can be very irritating for the skin. If you can, replace soap entirely with one of the more natural body washes now widely available, even in supermarkets. Check out the ingredients if you are unsure, you may be surprized at the number of chemicals and salts that are contained in the more popular brands.

Overexposure to the Sun is also a very common way to develop dry skin. Our body needs only about 15 minutes exposure to sunlight a day to produce the Vitimin D it needs so cut down if you can, especially if you have one of the types of skin that never tan and burn easily. Even those of us with darker skin tones can benefit from the application of  high sunfactor skin protection, especially those in the higher risk groups, oudoor workers and the very young.

One of the ways in which we can help to reduce or even eliminate dry skin problems is by examining our lifestyle and diet. If you smoke you are not only at greater risk of developing life threatening diseases such as cancer, but you will also suffer very adverse affects on the condition of your skin, both from the external effects of the smoke, to the internal effects of the toxins and free radicals on your body. Alcohol and caffeine are also notoriously bad for the condition of the skin. Both are extremely de-hydrating, with alcohol again introducing large amounts of toxins and free radicals into the body.

Foods known to be bad for the condition of your skin include, fried foods, foods with a high animal fat content and highly processed foods such as Pizza and other ‘fast foods’ in addition to cakes and candy. Replace these with healthier foods and make sure that you keep your skin hydrated by drinking enough water. A typical adult should drink about eight 8 Oz glasses of water per day. Cut down on coffee and replace it with one or more of the many fruit or herbal teas widely available, most are naturally caffeine free. Eat small amounts of lean meat and more oily fish such as Salmon and Tuna, both are high in the natural oil Omega 3 which has recognized health benefits for the skin, and the wellbeing of the body in general. Steamed vegetables, nuts and pulses are also important and eat lots of fresh salads ( but watch the dressings ).

Try to incorporate regular exercise into your life as this will have a great effect on the condition of your skin. As their general health improves most people notice quite dramatic improvements in the condition of their skin, often to the extent that their daily dry skin care worries become a thing of the past.
Even if a doctor or other health professional has advised you that your dry skin is a medical condition such as Eczema or Psoriasis, making most or all of the above changes to your environment or lifestyle will, in most cases lead to significant improvements in the conditions. For those of us without these, largely inherited, conditions, making the above changes should be all the dry skin remedies that you will need.

With the number of health campaigns aimed at raising the level of public awareness of the dangers of overexposure to the harmful effects of the Sun on our skin and eyes at an all time high, there can be very few people who are now unaware of the potential dangers of ultraviolet light.

If you are one of those who find applying and re-applying suncreams and lotions at best a chore, help could soon be at hand from an unlikely source. Scientists working at King’s College, London, yes… that rainy, fog shrouded, London, have discovered a chemical that they say could be used to produce a sun protection pill within the next five years which could offer all the protection against the Sun’s Ultraviolet rays in one convenient pill, the effects of which should last for several weeks.

It seems that they have discovered that coral, which grows in shallow water, produces a substance to shield itself from the effects of Ultraviolet light. Algae which live on the coral secrete a compound which is used by the coral to develop a sunscreen for the benefit of both it and the algae. Importantly for us it seems that fish who feed on the Reef also absorb the amino acid which comprises the sunscreen, which then becomes concentrated in their skin and eyes, increasing their own U.V protection.

Toxicology tests are about to begin on the new substance but Scientists are confident that a sun protection pill offering weeks of protection to the effects of U.V light on the skin and eyes can be fully developed and marketed as a cheap alternative to suncreams before the end of the decade. The new pill promises to be a major aid in the fight against skin ageing and diseases such as Malignant Melanoma and other forms of skin cancer, with perhaps those of us who work outside for all or part of the day most likely to benefit.

Sun Protection Pill