How do I know if I have dry skin?

Dry skin is a skin that has an extreme dryness . In addition to a comfort problem, it can also promote the development towards real skin pathologies . The extra dry skin feels, and it is not really very pleasant : it pulls, lack of flexibility, and sometimes becomes irritable (burning or itching sensations). But it can also promote a more or less visible desquamation , which can give it a "scaly" or "crocodile" appearance . As a result, our epidermis becomes dull, unsightly. If we look at this from a more medical point of view, the extra dry skin is a skin whose skin barrier is altered (alteration of both the hydrolipidic film with an insufficiency of certain essential fatty substances, and a disorder of desquamation). As a result, the skin surface becomes more fragile and more sensitive to environmental conditions. There is often associated a certain degree of skin inflammation with redness not very glamorous.

What are the causes of extra dry skin?

To regain its balance, the skin of the body needs a little boost. It is therefore important to help the skin barrier to hydrate. Often dry and rough because of the friction of certain materials , we are much to be concerned with the cutaneous dryness. The dryness of the skin is favored by all the factors related to the environment : Wind, cold or heating have desiccating effects , and climate changes more extreme (hot / cold and vice versa) also. Moreover, by slowing cell renewal , skin aging weakens the hydro lipid film : the skin becomes drier. This phenomenon is particularly marked in postmenopausal women because of the decrease in sebaceous secretion.

Why is the skin ultra dry on hands, knees, elbows and heels?

The frequent washing of the hands favors their dryness (which does not mean that they should not be washed!). Indeed, poorly rinsed and badly wiped , the hands develop dryness , scaling and redness : it is the dermatitis of irritation, also called "dermatitis of the housewife" which, repeated and with poor skin maintenance, can be the cause of some contact eczemas. Elbows, forearms and knees are also extra-dry areas. The effect of friction by clothing for example causes a thickening of the skin with an accumulation of desquamating cells, giving it a "greyish" and dry appearance. The rubbing on the feet and the repeated shocks associated with the tendency of "flip - flops" favor the thickening of the heels and the appearance of cracks. Fortunately, to mitigate all this, there are products that are perfectly targeted for dry areas.

What role do these famous creams for dry skin play?

On a daily basis, cosmetic creams for extra-dry skin have a real usefulness and bring a real benefit because they make it possible to avoid the occurrence of cases of severe drought. They help to preserve and regain true skin comfort but also to fight aging of the epidermis (a well hydrated skin ages less quickly). Their daily use is therefore an indispensable gesture to adopt to find a soft and supple skin. The ideal would be to apply generously milk melting on your body after the shower and just before going to bed. At this time, you can benefit from all the benefits of the active ingredients contained in moisturizing milk without being hampered by a feeling of too rich or too fat cream.

A big thank you to Garnier for all this info!