Dry skin is very common - as skin loses moisture the surface cracks. Dry skin is different from dermatitis or eczema in that there is no inflammation or redness. However, untreated dry skin may become itchy and red leading to dermatitis or eczema

What causes dry skin

Factors which contribute to dry and cracked skin include:

- Cool weather, especially when windy or the humidity is low
- Air conditioning or central heating
- Excessive bathing, showering or swimming
- Contact with soap, detergents and solvents
- Frictional irritation and chapping
- Increasing age, resulting in decreased natural lubrication

How can I treat dry skin
An important aspect of treatment is to identify and tackle any contributing factors:

Reduce how often you bath or shower, and use lukewarm water. Showers may be better than baths. Replace standard soaps and shower gels. Apply a moisturizer such as exederm intensive moisture cream liberally and often, particularly after bathing, and when itchy. The drier the skin, the thicker this should be, especially on the hands.

Dry skin is usually a long term and recurring problem, especially in winter. When you notice your skin getting dry, resume your lubricating routine and use a non-soap cleanser such as exederm cleansing wash

How can I avoid it?

Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize again. But do watch out for common chemical irritants that may trigger an atopic eczema flare-up. Often ingredients found in well known personal care or cosmetic brands can irritate. Even some brands labeled 'hypoallergenic', 'sensitive' or 'natural' contain unnecessary additives & harsh chemicals.

In particular, look out for fragrances, colors and harsh preservatives such as parabens (butylparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben) or methylisothiazolinone.

For liquid cleansers such as body washes, hand washes or shampoo watch out for SLS (sodium laureth sulfate) or CAPB (cocamidopropyl betaine)- both of these ingredients have been known to trigger contact dermatitis. Click for more information on irritants.

To compare ingredients used in exederm ultra sensitive formulations with other well known brands click on product images below