To start, what is healthy skin?
Think of your skin as a barrier. It's involved in an exchange between our body and the environment. We sweat; we produce oils. It’s also a barrier to protect us from the environment, whether those are pollutants around us, bacteria, viruses, or the whole host of things that our skin touches day to day. So, healthy skin is really that intact barrier that is functioning as it's supposed to as a protection mechanism as well as an organ of exchange. When we start to have dryness or inflammation in the skin that can really impact that nice, healthy barrier.
What are some common factors that contribute to symptoms associated with dryness?
Reasons why the skin might feel dry and irritated can be environmental. Living in an arid environment, like we do here in Colorado, can certainly contribute to that. Somebody living in Florida may not experience many of the same dry skin issues that somebody in the Rocky Mountains might.
Bathing habits can also have an impact. Taking long, hot or very cold showers can impact the barrier of our skin and strip some of those naturally occurring oils. Heavily scented soaps or other body products may cause irritation for some and dry out the skin.
When the skin barrier is not healthy to begin with — which we often see in diseases such as atopic dermatitis or contact dermatitis — those factors that cause inflammation in the skin can really disrupt that natural barrier and can worsen that appearance of rash and scaly or dry skin.
Most of us, especially living in a dry climate, will have some form of dry skin. It can occur on a spectrum. Some people, like those with atopic dermatitis, are more prone to it, and that dryness can set off a cascade where a rash worsens.
Are there preventative measures that can help from getting dry in the first place?
Yes. First, look at your daily habits. Are you taking a 20-minute hot shower twice a day? If so, maybe turn down the temperature of that water a little bit and shorten your showers. Are you using body products that are scented or have botanicals? Those can also affect the skin’s barrier. Look for products that are unscented and gentle. You probably don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to treat or prevent occasional dry skin.
The best thing to do, really, is after a shower or bath, pat your body dry, then directly apply a bland moisturizer, something that’s thicker. The best choice is something you can almost scoop out with your hand, rather than a pump. Petroleum jelly is one of those that’s going to provide maximal moisturization.
I always tell patients just to simplify things. A simple, consistent routine will be best, particularly in the winter when it’s cold and dry.
Try as many of us might, skin dryness happens. Especially for those who wash their hands a lot or spend time outdoors. What can people do when their skin is feeling irritated and chapped?
I do hear from a lot of patients — and colleagues, too — about dry hands, and that’s because we’re washing away those naturally produced factors that keep the skin moisturized and doing it repeatedly throughout the day. I recommend using a moisturizer directly after hand washing. That will help to replenish those factors in the skin.
If you're experiencing chronic dry hands, you can wear cotton gloves at night after applying a thick ointment, such as petroleum jelly. That helps lock in moisturization and prevents cracking and dryness.
Are there misconceptions about dry skin you hear often as a dermatologist?
The biggest one I hear is that people think they’re just dehydrated and that’s why their skin is dry. We, of course, want you to be hydrated, but you still might have dry skin regardless of how much water you’re drinking. Often, it is that environmental impact and our habits that are driving dryness.
Should people with dry skin change their products or skin routines with the season?
That’s a good question. If you’re using something really heavy in the winter to help with dry skin, that sometimes isn’t the best solution in the summer when it’s hot and you sweat more. That thick ointment, if overused, can cause heat rash or acne. During those warmer months, try something less aggressive.
Is there a point with dry skin that somebody should seek out an expert opinion?
If your skin is getting particularly red, itchy, painful, and it’s cracking and bleeding, that could indicate that there’s another underlying issue, like atopic dermatitis, for example. A clinician can help you get to the bottom of it and present some treatment options.
