The skin is one of our most important organs, as it protects us against the environment, gives us our appearance and sense of touch. However, when skin becomes dry, it can feel rough and tight, or even become raw or itchy, and its ability to function properly becomes compromised. Dryness is a leading cause of skin complaints, a lack of moisture within the skin can present in different ways, ranging from typical roughness, scaling, and small cracks to redness, inflammation, constant tightness and itching. However, this will differ depending on the severity and location of dryness.
What Causes Dry Skin?
Dry skin is caused by both exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) factors. A person may be affected by more than one of these factors, and the severity of dry skin will increase with the number of compounding causes. An understanding of which factors influence dry skin will help with the prevention and treatment of dry skin. When skin´s natural barrier function is compromised, moisture can more easily evaporate, leaving the skin dry, tight and rough. Skin´s reduced moisture level due to a limited number of Aquaporins. The evaporation of moisture and important substances that trap and bind moisture in the skin is due to a deficiency in these hygroscopic (water-binding) substances, which occur naturally in the skin. The first step in the moisture loss process is the loss of surface lipids that form a natural barrier on the skin to prevent water evaporation. Once this lipid barrier is broken, moisture can evaporate and the vital moisture-binding substances are easily washed out. As these natural moisturising factors are missing, the skin cannot hold as much water and becomes dry. If this condition persists, the moisture networks in the deeper layers of the skin can become compromised, reducing the natural upward flow of moisture into the upper layers, resulting in very dry skin.
We recommend the following products for dry skin types