12 home remedies for dry skin

Your skin is the largest organ in the body that offers protection against the effects of external elements like the wind, Sun and harsh weather conditions. These conditions can damage your skin, making it itchy, flaky and dry. The skin is blessed with natural oils that keeps it well hydrated or moisturized. However, when adequate amount of oil is not produced by the skin, dryness sets in. The other factors that can rob your skin of moisturization are washing with hot water, using skin products that contain harsh chemicals, shaving, sun damage, scrubbing your skin and aging. To have beautiful and healthy skin, it is important that you take good care of it. There are several natural home remedies that you can easily try to avoid dryness of the skin. The following are some of these remedies:

1. Wash your face with milk

Milk, with its amazing soothing properties is a great remedy for various skin problems including dry skin. The lactic acid present in milk helps your skin hold in moisture and it also removes the dead skin cells by exfoliating the skin. Milk also has anti-inflammatory properties that helps reduce itching and inflammation. Milk cream is a wonderful moisturizer and it helps maintain the natural pH of the skin. To use milk as a dry skin remedy, soak a wash cloth in milk and apply on the affected area. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

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2. Massage with Olive oil

Olive oil is a natural humectant that helps retain the skin’s natural moisture by preventing the loss of moisture. In addition, it is loaded with plenty of antioxidants and other nutrients that are beneficial to the skin. These nutrients provide a soothing effect and helps prevent many of the common skin disorders. Massage your skin with olive oil half an hour before taking bath. After bath, apply a moisturizer. You can also make a great body scrub by combining 2 tbsp of olive oil, 4 tbsp of brown sugar and a tbsp of honey. Apply this scrub on your skin and gently rub. This helps in eliminating the dirt and dead skin cells. A mixture of olive oil and lavender oil acts as a great moisturizer too. The moisturizing properties of olive oil and the anti-inflammatory effects of lavender oil work together to prevent dry skin and itching.

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3. Moisturize your skin with Jojoba oil

Jojoba oil has been used for centuries for treating dry skin and other skin problems. In fact, it is widely used in various skin products. Jojoba oil has excellent moisturizing and soothing properties, which makes it great for dry skin. It is the similarity of jojoba oil to our skin’s sebum that makes it work effectively. It penetrates deep down into the skin and seals in the moisture. Moreover nutrients like Vitamin B and vitamin E works wonders for the skin. While vitamin B helps retain the moisture in the skin, Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant that offers anti aging effect and gives a healthy appearance to the skin. Massage your skin with jojoba oil for a good 10 minutes and then wipe off the excess oil. Repeat this once or twice a week.

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4. Honey can soothe your dry skin

Other than being a healthy sweetener, honey also offers tons of health benefits. It is known to be one of the best natural moisturizers that can soothe dry skin. Honey’s humectant properties helps lock in moisture in the skin, making it smooth and soft. It is also loaded with antioxidants, nutrients and various compounds that show healing properties. Apply honey all over the skin before taking bath. Leave it on for about 10 to 15 minutes and then wash off with tepid water. Honey retains moisture in the skin, thus providing long lasting hydration. A combination of milk and honey is another natural remedy that can help maintain high levels of moisture in the skin.

5. Coconut oil as a moisturize

Just like olive oil, coconut oil is also a great moisturizer that helps prevent your skin from becoming dry. It contains medium chain fatty acids, which retains the moisture content of the skin by preventing the loss of moisture through the skin pores. Coconut oil penetrates deep into the skin and keeps the tissues soft and supple, thus reducing the  appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Coconut oil, therefore is a natural, anti-aging natural moisturizer. Apply warm coconut oil all over your body and wash it off after half an hour. You can also apply the oil on your body after taking a shower.

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6. Yogurt can cure dry skin

Yogurt is an extremely skin friendly agent that has hydrating properties in addition to anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and antioxidant effects. The lactic acid in yogurt helps prevent  dryness of the skin and also helps exfoliate the skin by dissolving away the  dead skin cells. Apply yogurt on your skin and massage gently. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then take bath. Yogurt exfoliates the dry skin cells and leaves your skin smooth and shiny. You can also make a skin pack by combining yogurt, honey, lemon juice and papaya. Apply this mixture on the skin and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash off afterwards. Do this regularly and you will get beautiful and healthy skin.

7. Aloe vera gel works well for dry skin

Aloe vera gel has been used for ages as a remedy for several skin disorders. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and soothing properties that can calm dry and irritated skin. When applied on the skin, the gel hydrates the skin and at the same time gets rid of the dead skin cells. The topical application of aloe vera gel not only moisturizes the skin but also reduces aging signs, stimulates the production of collagen, reduces inflammation and keeps your skin young, healthy and glowing. The calming and anti-inflammatory properties also helps reduce the redness, swelling and irritation on the dry skin.

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8. Avocado moisturizes dry skin

Avocado has an abundance of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and antioxidants that can soothe your skin and improve its health.  In addition to cleansing your skin, avocado also acts as an excellent moisturizer. A facial mask prepared by combining mashed avocados and honey works wonders for your skin. Apply this mask and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Then rinse with tepid water. The combined action of avocado and honey hydrates your skin and prevents dryness.

9. Oatmeal to soothe dry skin

Oats have been used for centuries to try dry skin. It contains chemicals known as avenanthramides that have the ability to reduce redness, inflammation and itching. Taking an oatmeal bath is the best way to make use of most of its skin benefits. All you have to do is grind some oats in a blender and add them to the bath. Soak yourself in the bath for about 15 minutes. Oatmeal cleanses and exfoliates your skin without making it dry. Oats contain polysaccharides that turns gelatinous when water is added. When applied on the skin, it forms a protective layer that replenishes the moisture content of the skin and keeps it hydrated.

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10. Sea salt for dry, flaky skin

Sea salt, when used as a scrub or salt bath has the ability to hydrate the skin and prevent dryness.  It is a natural humectant that draws moisture to skin, helping to retain the moisture content. It contains minerals like potassium and magnesium that help to maintain proper moisture balance of the skin. Magnesium improves the skin texture, increases hydration and gets rid of dryness of the skin. Adding a cup of sea salt to a tub of warm water and soaking your body in this water for about 20 to 25 minutes is very helpful in nourishing extremely dry skin.

11. Almond oil and skin benefits

Almond oil is another wonderful natural remedy for dry and flaky skin. Rich in vitamin E, this oil acts as an emollient and provides excellent hydration to the skin. Applying almond oil to your skin provides extra nourishment and prevents loss of moisture content from the skin. The emollient properties of the oil helps in treating skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Almond oil is a light weight oil and hence won’t clog the pores of the skin. Apply almond oil on dry skin and as the oil penetrates deep into the skin, it offers excellent hydration and relief from dry and itchy skin.

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12. Banana is beneficial for the skin

Banana is high in various nutrients that help eliminate dry skin by hydrating and moisturizing the skin cells. In addition to reducing dryness of the skin, these nutrients in banana also delays aging, reduces dark spots and blemishes, and lightens the skin tone. A face mask made by mixing mashed banana and coconut oil is an excellent remedy for dry skin. The moisturizing properties of both banana and coconut oil keeps the skin well hydrated and looking beautiful.

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Dry skin is a common problem that most people face. It can cause irritation and also spoil the beauty of the skin. People with dry skin should make sure to treat the condition as soon as people because if left untreated it may lead to bacterial infection and skin disorders like dermatitis. Moisturizing your skin properly is the key to preventing dry and flaky skin. You can find several skin care products on the market nowadays, most of which are expensive and contain chemicals that can be harsh on the skin. However you can get best results by trying out many of the home remedies that are mentioned here. Not only are they inexpensive, but these remedies make use of natural ingredients that are perfectly safe for the skin.