Dry Skin

 Your skin produces its own fats (called lipids) from the food you eat. It also holds a great deal of water in the form of hyaluronic acid. Together, these help the skin to stay soft and supple. 

When these are in place, you have hydrated skin. If they are not, you have dry skin.

Your skin is an organ. It carries out these important functions:

· It acts as a physical and biological barrier to the external environment, preventing penetration by bacteria, viruses and other irritants.

· It prevents loss of water through the skin

· It keeps the internal environment of the body stable and relatively constant.

Together, these help your body to stay healthy and well.

When you lose more water from your body than you take in, this compromises your skin’s barrier function, leaving your body open to disease. 

You may have dry skin:

• If your body is not creating sufficient lipids then your skin becomes less supple and elastic – which contributes to skin sagging. 

• As you go through menopause and beyond, your body holds less hyaluronic acid, so it becomes important for you to top up the moisture on the surface of your skin, and this is often done using moisturisers. 

It's important to keep your skin hydrated.

Things to do:

• Cleanse your skin 
• Use a moisturiser 
• Drink enough water

Things to be aware of:

• check your product ingredients to be sure you're using the right products that will deal with the cause of your dry skin

What not to do:

• regularly have very hot baths
• use very strong smelling products
• go to bed with your makeup on