All right, I admit I do not have dry skin. But it does not mean I will not be sharing some helpful tips on how you can effectively soften your dry skin. The markets abound with lots of moisturizer and other skin care products. Before buying some, you need to know what causes dry skin and what kind of ingredients you should look for to effectively address this condition.
How dry skin develops
Dry skin is basically caused by lack of moisture on the skin. That is a pretty common-sense answer but it is true. Moisture content on the skin is essential to the proper functioning of the dermal layers. A dry skin becomes flaky and irritated, considering that the uppermost layer of the skin does not contain blood vessels that can nourish it. This is where keratin, a type of naturally produced protein, plays a key role. It is mainly responsible for absorbing and trapping moisture.
Emollient and its basic functions
An effective treatment for dry akin must contain emollients. These are substances that soften or smooth the skin surface. An emollient has three basic functions, as follows:
1. Occlusion. Emollient is effective in augmenting the skin moisture loss by trapping the water inside. Occlusion provides an additional layer of oil on the skin surface to prevent the dissipation of water to the atmosphere. By helping retain water, it increases moisture content on the stratum corneum, the technical the upper most layer of the epidermis.
2. Humectants. The skin, mainly through the keratin fibers, has its own water retaining capacity. Our own body has its own way of retaining water, although as we progress in age, this capacity to retain water weakens. Humectants strengthen the water-holding capacity of the stratum corneum.
3. Lubrication. As a lubricant, emollient provides additional slip or glide across the skin.
There are many emollient substances taken from natural ingredients. Make sure your skin care product contains any of these substances. Cetiol PLG is a type of emollient taken from natural plant extracts. Crodamol CP is another equally effective emollient that is taken from palm oil lipid. It is a combination of cytyl alcohol taken from coconut oil and acetic acid, mostly extracted from apples, oranges, peaches, pineapple, strawberries and grapes. A variant of Vitamin B5, D-Panthenol, is another effective emollient.
Anti-oxidants
Some products also contain many natural anti-oxidants. Remember that these anti-oxidants are responsible in fighting the free radicals in the body. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that produces the said free radicals that ultimately damage the cellular membranes. Anti-oxidants are critical because they minimize the oxidative stress inside the cells. There are many widely known rich sources of anti-oxidants. The Macadamia oil is a very good example. You know what? It has reputedly the highest concentration of palmitoleic acid, a very effective anti-oxidant that deeply penetrates and hydrates the skin layer. CoQ10 is another powerful anti-oxidant. Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10 is another common substance that is also used in promoting collagen regeneration in the body. This particular substance uses nano-emulsion. Because of its ultra small molecular size, it can deeply penetrate the deepest layers of the skin, making it very effective in addressing skin condition.
You can also use a skin moisturizer. This is specifically ideal every time you go out. Extended exposure to direct ultra-violet rays of the sun aggravates your dry skin condition. Make sure you take plenty of water too. Nutritionists suggest a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day.
A simple skin care regimen and diligent observance of these helpful tips will effectively soften your dry skin.
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