Home Remedies For Dry Skin – 10 Ways To Soothe Dryness

It’s not always easy to understand the underlying cause of skin dryness. Change of weather, hot showers, aging of the skin, arid climates, and harsh soaps can all trigger dry skin. But one thing is for sure, no one likes the itchy and uncomfortable feeling that comes with dry skin.

If left unattended, dry skin (also known as Vata skin type in Ayurveda) can result in skin infections and cracking of the skin. 

Thankfully, dry skin isn’t always a serious problem and can be treated naturally. You can take the help of home remedies to treat skin dryness. 

Why Choose Home Remedies For Dry Skin?

Dry skin is often easily irritated. While there are a lot of top-of-the-counter products that address dry skin conditions, they don’t always work effectively for your skin. Some of them have chemicals that tend to leave your skin drier. While others have preservatives or artificial fragrances that may trigger skin irritation.

Home remedies and natural products on the other hand are entirely pure and free from such chemicals or fragrances. They are a better alternative for nourishing dry skin. When it comes to skincare, it’s a good idea to keep it simple.

What Causes Dry Skin and How Home Remedies Help?

Before we talk about treating dry skin, it’s important to understand what causes dry skin conditions. Did you know that your skin has the natural ability to produce oil, also known as sebum? This natural oil of your skin forms a protective barrier that protects the skin from damage and locks in the moisture content. 

However, certain factors like dry climate, aging, and even excessive washing of face can strip your skin of this natural protective layer. As a result, your skin loses its ability to lock in water and moisture. This leads to dry skin.

Home remedies such as treating your skin with natural oils are helpful as they restore the skin’s protective moisture barrier.

12 Top Home Remedies For Dry Skin

Having established that home remedies are one of the most effective (not to mention, also one of the most affordable) ways to take care of dry skin concerns, let’s look at some of the top remedies for dry skin.

1. Nourish Your Skin With Coconut Oil

Did you know that one of the most important Ayurvedic treatments for dry skin is Abhyanga? Abhyanga is simply a practice of self-massage with natural oils. For this, Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, Sesame oil, and Castor oil are considered excellent massage oils.

Among them, the most effective oil for dry skin is Organic Coconut Oil. Research has found that Coconut Oil has emollient properties. An emollient is a substance that is able to create a smooth surface by filling in the gaps in the skin cells. Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids which help hydrate the skin and improve its lipid content.

The best thing about using coconut oil for dry skin is that you need not be worried about any side effects. As long as you are using 100% pure Coconut Oil, you can use it daily and even on sensitive skin. 

Read - Why Is Virgin Coconut Oil So Good For Your Skin?

2. Give Your Skin An Oatmeal Bath

Lately, a lot of people have started including oatmeal in their diet as a healthy breakfast option. But did you know that oatmeal can be applied to your skin to get immense benefits?

Oatmeal is prepared simply by adding water to ground oats. The prepared mixture has special colloidal properties due to which it binds to the skin and works as a protective barrier to lock in the moisture content. Therefore, giving your skin an oatmeal bath is an effective remedy for dry skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. 

The benefits of oatmeal for dry skin are immense. 

Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties also help in healing skin dryness and prevent infections. Oats are one of the most gentle and soothing natural ingredients that you can treat your skin with. It’s naturally hydrating for the skin. However, it’s important that you follow your oatmeal bath with moisturisation to lock in the hydration.

One way to give your skin all the benefits of oatmeal is to use Ubtan, which is an Ayurvedic soap-free skin cleanser. It’s 100% natural and contains Oatmeal as one of the key ingredients along with other natural ingredients such as Green Gram, Almonds, Neem, Turmeric and Fennel. Due to its all-natural composition, it’s gentle on the skin and doesn’t cause any dryness. 

3. Make moisturisation a part of your daily routine

You might be well aware that Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize is the recommended 3-step skin care regimen for all. However, lack of time often makes us ignore these basics of skin care. As a result, our skin suffers.

One of the ways to prevent and cure skin dryness is to swear by your daily moisturisation regimen. In fact, just moisturising your skin once a day isn’t enough. You get best results when you moisturize twice - once in the morning and once during the night.

Of course, the moisturisers that you choose for your skin matter just as much. We recommend that you use natural moisturisers as they are better suited for dry skin. During winters, when your skin is dry, you will benefit from using rich body butters to nourish your skin. Here are our top recommendations for natural daily moisturisation.

• Day Cream For Women - Eladi Hydrating Ayurvedic Face Cream
• Day Cream For Men - Hydrating Ayurvedic Face Cream For Men
• Night Cream For Women - Rejuvenating and Brightening Ayurvedic Night Cream
• Night Cream For Men - Skin Brightening Night Cream For Men
• Body Moisturiser For Summers - Lavender Patchouli Body Moisturiser
• Body Butters For Winters - Kokum and Almond Body Butter

4. Treat your skin with home-made natural face masks

When you choose the right ingredients, your face mask can provide your skin with a rich dose of moisturisation and nourishment. For dry skin, effective natural face masks can be prepared by using hydrating constituents such as Avocadoes, Honey and Oatmeal and Milk. Here are a few home-made masks for you to try.

1. Avocado Face Mask - Puree half an avocado and mix it with one teaspoon of olive oil to prepare a paste. If your skin is very dry, you can also add a tablespoon of honey to make your skin even more nourishing. Apply the mask to your face and leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash it off.
   
   
2. Oatmeal Honey Mask - Honey has moisturizing, healing and anti-inflammatory properties and it also effective remedy for dry skin. Mix two tablespoon of oats with one table spoon of honey. Leave this mask on for 15 to 20 minutes to let it work as a soothing, hydrating mask.
   
   
3. Milk Mask - Milk is an excellent remedy for dry and flaky skin. It replenishes the lost oils in the skin and make it smoother and more moisturised. The healthy fats in the skin leave the skin naturally moisturised. Dip a cotton ball in milk and dab all over the face. Allow it to stand for 20 minutes and wash with cold water. Alternatively, you can mix honey and milk and apply the mixture as face mask on your skin for even better nourishment. 

5. Massage Your Skin With Aloe Vera

Did you know that Alove Vera gel has skin healing properties? The answer to your dry skin woes is this wonderful plant that might be growing in your garden. 

Popular as a remedy for sun burn, Aloe Vera gel is also effective in treating skin dryness. The gel contains mucopolysaccharides, which help lock moisture into the skin.  It’s used to get relief from redness and skin irritation associated with skin dryness. The best part is that you can easily apply it on your skin. All you need to do is scoop out the Aloe Vera gel from the leaf and massage it into your skin. 

6. Include Anti-Oxidants and Omega -3 In Your Diet 

What you eat reflects on your skin and hair. One of the best ways to take care of skin dryness is to eat food items that are rich in anti-oxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids.

The top recommendations for including anti-oxidants in your diet are blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, beans, peas, and lentils. For healthy fats, you can include avocados, walnuts and sunflower seeds in your diet.

7. Adjust Your Bath Temperature

Your showering habits play a huge role in determining your skin health. Afterall, that’s one thing most of us do every single day. Are you someone who enjoys hot water showers? Then, you’ll be disappointed to know that they are the reason behind your dry skin woes. 

It’s strongly recommended to avoid hot showers and limit bath time to 10 minutes. Also, check what soap you are using for taking a shower. Some soaps dry out the skin excessively. Switch to natural soaps or natural body cleansers to maintain your skin’s moisture content. You can even add a suitable essential oil to your bath to treat dry skin.

Read - Essential Oils 101 - How To Choose The Best Ones For You

8. Drink Plenty Of Water

Now, here’s the tip that’s the easiest to follow but also the hardest simply because we forget. Your water intake can make or break your skin, literally. Boost your water intake to keep your body hydrated and to moisturize your skin from the inside out. 

9. Wear Sunscreen Regularly

If you think the arid winters are the only culprit behind dry skin conditions, you are wrong. Harsh sunlight during the summers damage your skin’s protective barrier and also lead to skin dryness. The solution? Never step out in the sun (be it during winters or summers), without adequate sun protection.

We recommend Natural Sun Protection for dry skin. It is a non-chemical daily-use sunscreen that provides full-spectrum sun protection and a boost of hydration to keep skin healthy and even-toned.

Read - Which Sunscreen Lotion Is The Best For You?

10.  Consider Using A Humidifier

If you’ve an air conditioning system, it could lead to skin dryness. Most heating systems suck the moisture from the air. However, you can use a humidifier and set it at about 60 percent to offset this effect. Along with this, wearing gloves during wintertime will particularly help you combat skin dryness in your hands. 

With that, we conclude our list of top home remedies for dry skin. While these remedies will help you nourish dry skin, it’s important that you follow healthy skin care practices in the long term. In case you do not get relief from home remedies, we recommend that you consult a dermatologist.  

If you need help with choosing the best skin care products for dry skin, you can book a free consultation with our Ayurvedic beauty experts.