4 Major Causes of Your Dry Skin and What You Can Do to Help

February 24, 2021

Samantha Ford, MS & Ava Ghobadpour, MS, RD

Tis the season of dry, itchy, cracked, flaky skin. You apply creams and oils and still feel like a lizard. You try to cover it up with makeup, and it ends up looking like a flaky mess.  We feel you. So, what is going on and why is your skin so parched?!  

Here are a few factors that might be contributing and some key nutrition and lifestyle tips to get you on the path to smooth and supple:

1. Age. Let’s define aging first: although we might not feel old at 25, that is when our bodies’ aging mechanisms start kicking into higher gear. Our collagen and elastin stores start to degrade faster than our bodies can produce. We also produce less oil and less hyaluronic acid – the very molecule responsible for holding water in the skin. These factors can lead to thinner, more fragile, drier and less elastic skin. Does that mean we are doomed after our 26^th birthday? Of course not! It is a slow process and staying proactive (i.e. staying out of the sun, nurturing our bodies with proper foods and supplements, staying hydrated and staying active) will keep us looking and feeling our best. One very effective thing you can do:  add hyaluronic acid to your regimen. Although can be wonderful as a serum to apply directly to your skin, adding it as a supplement can also go a long way.  Ingested hyaluronic acid has been shown to increase skin moisture and improve conditions with dry skin.  Not only that, supplementation has been shown to actually increase your body’s own production of hyaluronic acid. It is a go to for us and we were sure to include it in Bare Beauty!   
2. Hydration. We will be a broken record here: water is essential! Make sure you are properly hydrated and it will show! Studies have shown that simply increasing water intake will increase the hydration through the deepest layers of skin, resulting in increased elasticity, decreased dryness and roughness. Yes, all by simply drinking enough water. Make sure to have at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day (i.e. a person that weighs 150 pounds should have 75 ounces of water). Having trouble drinking that much water?  Add some flavor to it! Make your own spa water with mint and strawberries. Bare Beauty is also designed to help with just that -with a light berry flavor, you’ll look forward to getting in your water AND doubling down on the hydration with skin nourishing hyaluronic acid.
3. Foods. You are what you eat. Healthy fat intake has been linked to increased skin elasticity. Also worth noting, higher intake of green and yellow vegetables has been associated with decreased wrinkle appearance. So, load up on avocado, salmon, olives, squash, broccoli, kale, carrots, corn, cauliflower, peppers and butternut squash, just to name a few.  So many to choose from and no shortage of benefits.
4. Environment. Dry Air? Your skin will show it. Whether it is inside (i.e. the AC or heater) or outside, dry air can draw out humidity from the skin, leaving you feeling dry and itchy. Stuck in an office with the heater blasting or constantly battling your significant other over the thrermostat? Try a humidifier - this can help combat the loss of moisture from the dry air. Another big factor? Sun exposure. Try to limit your time directly in the sun during peak hours (20 minutes is great - just enough to get your Vitamin D), and don’t forget your sunscreen!

As always, consistency is key. Stick to these basics and it will show!

Merci,

Samantha and Ava

 

References:

Akdeniz M, Tomova-Simitchieva T, Dobos G, Blume-Peytavi U, Kottner J. Does dietary fluid intake affect skin hydration in healthy humans? A systematic literature review. Skin Res Technol. 2018;24(3):459-465. doi:10.1111/srt.12454

Kawada C, Yoshida T, Yoshida H, et al. Ingested hyaluronan moisturizes dry skin. Nutr J. 2014;13:70. Published 2014 Jul 11. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-70

Nagata C, Nakamura K, Wada K, et al. Association of dietary fat, vegetables and antioxidant micronutrients with skin aging in Japanese women. Br J Nutr. 2010;103(10):1493-1498. doi:10.1017/S0007114509993461

Pons-Guiraud A. Dry skin in dermatology: a complex physiopathology. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2007;21 Suppl 2:1-4.

The Water in You: Water and the Human Body. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects/ Accessed: August 1, 2020.

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