In this article:
What to do for dry flaky skin
How to treat dry, flaky skin
How to get rid of dry flaky skin on body
How to get rid of dry flaky skin on hands?
How to get rid of dry flaky skin around eyes?
Anyone who’s experienced the discomfort of dry, flaky skin knows how it feels to want a fast fix. Below you’ll find a brief list of dry skin dos and don’ts, all supported by published research. Read on to find out how to get rid of dry skin on your face, body, and lips.
What to do for dry flaky skin
It's important to know that dry skin is a skin type, not a temporary or seasonal condition. Because of this, you should use products designed to tackle dry, flaky skin year-round.
Here are some of the most effective skin care ingredients best suited to help boost and/or retain moisture:
- Hyaluronic acid is present in your skin naturally—plus, as a skin care ingredient, it’s proven capable of holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It’s an ideal hydrator for excessively dry skin (and can also help dehydrated skin).
- Ectoin, an amino acid derivative that excels at preventing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) in skin while promoting soothing and improving skin’s microbiome.
- Ceramides are lipids (aka fats) that naturally comprise over 50% of skin’s surface (7). One of their main functions is to prevent moisture loss, so—like hyaluronic acid—they’re virtually unmatched as skin care ingredients when it comes to helping get rid of dry, flaky skin. Ceramides can smooth, revive, and secure surface skin cells that would otherwise look dried out.
- AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) like glycolic acid and lactic acid not only exfoliate to remove the top layers of dead, dry skin, but also increase skin’s ability to hold on to vital hydration, limiting future signs of dryness.
- Nourishing, non-fragrant plant oils like jojoba, safflower, and sunflower (among a long list of others) can work wonders for scaly, dry skin. Make sure you know the difference between soothing plant oils and fragrant essential oils, which are harsh, irritating, and drying. When in doubt, let our online ingredient dictionary be your guide.
- Omega fatty acids are also weightless hydrators for dry, flaky skin, with the ability to calm and soothe sensitivity and reinforce skin’s surface.
How to treat dry, flaky skin
To heal dry skin, it’s essential to pay close attention to ingredient lists, swap out products for those more suitable for dry and flaky skin if needed, and perhaps change some ingrained skin care behaviors. Your newly soft, plumper-looking, smoother-feeling skin will be well worth the effort:
- Don’t put any fragranced products on your skin (yes, that includes lip and body products). Fragrance is the number one cause of sensitised skin.
- Don’t use products containing sensitising ingredients like denatured alcohol, essential oils, mint, menthol, and eucalyptus.
- Don’t use products containing clays and starches; these absorbents won’t damage your skin, but they can be drying if your skin isn’t oily.
- Don’t use abrasive scrubs to exfoliate; rather, use a gentle leave-on product that effortlessly sloughs off dead skin (3). This will allow your moisturising products to absorb more fully and work more effectively.
How to get rid of dry flaky skin on body
The rules of preventing dry, flaky skin on the body are essentially the same as for your face, with a couple of different things to keep in mind:
- Don’t use very hot water in the shower. We know a hot bath or shower feels perfect in winter but cooling the temperature a bit will help prevent uncomfortable dryness and flaking. Post-shower, apply a layer of soothing, emollient lotion. If your skin is very dry or even scaly, try a luxuriously thick body butter loaded with non-fragrant, plant-based oils and butters.
- Don’t use bar soap or bar cleansers, even on your body. Instead, switch to a hydrating cream or oil cleanser. The ingredients that keep soaps and bar cleansers in bar form can leave a residue on skin that keeps your moisturisers from doing their job.
- Exfoliate regularly. Using a chemical exfoliant on your body, instead of a harsh scrub or abrasive brush, yields fantastic results. With regular body exfoliation, even chronically dry areas such as elbows and heels will become softer and smoother. Of course, always follow your exfoliation with a gentle, fragrance-free moisturiser to lock in hydration.
How to get rid of dry flaky skin on hands?
It can be difficult to keep your hands hydrated because you wash them throughout the day. Applying a moisturiser loaded with skin replenishing ingredients, such as non-fragrant plant oils and ceramides, after each hand washing helps keep them feeling soft and smooth. If you’re using hand sanitiser, use the sanitiser first, then moisturise as soon as it’s dry.
Applying a rich cream at night then wearing gloves to lock in that hydration when you go to bed can also go a long way toward keeping hands moisturised and flake-free.
How to get rid of dry flaky skin around eyes?
Dry skin around the eyes isn’t uncommon because it's one of the areas of the face where we have the fewest oil glands, meaning the amount of natural moisture there is already lower. During the day, consider an eye cream boosted with ceramides that will help restore skin’s barrier, alleviating dryness.
You can also combat dry flaky skin around eyes by gently patting an eye cream loaded with emollients on as the last step of your nighttime skin care routine. You might be surprised how much of a difference this will make– even as soon as the next morning!
Learn more about dry skin.
References for this Information:
- Annales de Dermatologie et de Vénéréologie, May 2018, pages 376–384
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences, December 2017, pages 1–21
- Skin Research and Technology, August 2015, pages 366–372
- Clinical Cosmetic Investigative Dermatology, August 2015, pages 413–421
- Essential Oil Safety, Second Edition, Tisserand, R., Young, R., Elsevier Ltd., 2014, pages 69–98
- Journal of Clinical and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, October 2014, pages 2473–2483
- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, July 2014, pages 177–184
- Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, June 2014, pages 25–32
- Archives of Dermatological Research, March 2013, pages 151–162
- Aesthetic Dermatology, October 2012, pages 20–23; and March 2009, pages 38–43
