Best Four Ingredients for Treating Dry Flaky Skin

We all want soft, supple skin that glows when it catches the light. If you suffer from very dry skin, achieving this look can be a challenge. Dry areas of your face can flake, making your skin look dull and unhealthy. Treating very dry skin is sometimes as simple as knowing what skin care ingredients are best for helping you to restore the natural moisture balance to your skin. When you're shopping for skin care remedies for dry skin, look for these key ingredients on the label:

Glycerin

Glycerin is known as a humectant which is an ingredient that actually draws moisture from the atmosphere and bonds it to your skin. When water bonds to your skin it causes a slight swelling of the layer of the skin known as the stratum corneum. This gives the appearance of smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.

Lanolin

Lanolin is known as an occlusive dry skin ingredient. An occlusive is a substance that helps to prevent loss of water from the deeper skin layers. Lanolin is extracted from the sebaceous secrets of sheep and is an excellent ingredient for the treatment of very dry skin. Although it does an excellent job of retaining skin moisture, a certain segment of the population will be allergic to this ingredient. If you've had a problem with sensitivity to lanolin in the past, look for dry skin products marked lanolin free.

Hydroxy acids

The alpha hydroxyl acids which are so popular in skin care lines these days have two general functions in the treatment of very dry, flaky skin. They act as humectants to draw moisture from the atmosphere onto the skin and they cause exfoliation of the superficial skin.layers. The most common hydroxyl acids are derived from sour milk and sugar cane and are known as glycolic and lactic acids. Regular use of hydroxyl acids such as glycolic and lactic acids can result in a reduction of dry scaly patches on the skin as well as promote a smoother appearance. Some people will notice a bit of skin irritation when they first start to apply these dry skin ingredients to the skin, although this is usually short lived.

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