Skin has many functions and useful properties:

• Control of body temperature
• Keeping out infection
• It’s a waterproof barrier
• Protects delicate tissues underneath
• Mends itself when damaged

Most dry skin is caused by environmental exposures, such as:

• Weather. In general, your skin is driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels plummet. But the reverse may be true if you live in desert regions, where summer temperatures can top 110 and humidity levels sink to 10 percent or less.
• Central heating and air conditioning - reduce humidity and dry your skin.
• Hot baths and showers. Frequent showering or bathing in hot water, breaks down the lipid barriers in your skin. So does frequent swimming, particularly in heavily chlorinated pools.
• Harsh soaps and detergents. Many popular soaps and detergents strip lipids and water from your skin.

The following measures can help keep skin moist and healthy:

• Moisturise your skin. Moisturises provide a seal over your skin to keep water from escaping. If your skin is extremely dry, you may want to apply oil, while your skin is still moist. Oil has more staying power than moisturisers do and prevent the evaporation of water from the surface of your skin.
• Use warm water and limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time to about 15 minutes or less, and use warm, rather than hot, water.
• Avoid harsh, drying soaps. If you have dry skin, it’s best to use products which do not contain harsh chemicals like sodium/ ammonium lauryl sulphate, parabens or petrochemicals, these are known to dry out skin and irritate it. The best rule is to use washes, moisturisers and oils which do not contain these ingredients to avoid any irritation to dry skin.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on the skin. Immediately moisturise skin with an oil or cream.
• Use a humidifier. Hot, dry indoor air can parch sensitive skin and worsen itching and flaking. A portable home humidifier adds moisture to the air inside your home.
• Choose fabrics that are kind to your skin. Natural fibres such as cotton and silk allow you skin to breathe. When you wash your clothes, try to use detergents without dyes or perfumes, both of which can irritate your skin.

See your doctor if:

• Skin doesn’t improve in spite of your best efforts
• Dryness and itching interfere with sleeping
• There are open sores or infections from scratching
• There are large areas of scaling or peeling skin

The skin has two main layers. The outer waterproof layer is the epidermis with the dermis underneath. This lower layer contains hair follicles, sebaceous glands, tiny blood vessels called capillaries and a pigment called melanin which protects us from ultra violet rays.