It is getting colder again and despite the high energy costs, the heating will really turn on again. Bone-dry legs rear their head again and your skin starts to itch and twitch. In this blog I go deeper into the causes of dry skin. But luckily there are also solutions; these will be discussed in the following 'dry skin blogs'.
If you naturally have very dry skin, it will never become oily and supple.
That's sad to hear, of course, but that's the way it is. Your predisposition (your genes) largely determine whether you naturally have sufficient fats in your skin and whether you can retain enough moisture in your skin. The genetic predisposition cannot of course be changed, but with the right care from the inside and the outside you can balance your dry skin and your predisposition for dry skin.
You will just have to work a little harder to keep your dry skin healthy than someone who is blessed with oilier, supple and wrinkle-free skin.
To check whether your dry skin has indeed arisen from a genetic predisposition, you can do a Skin DNA test. With a cheek mucus sample, you can simply check your genetic skin characteristics.
The "good news" is that there are many other causes for dry or sensitive skin that you can easily influence yourself, such as your environmental factors. Air conditioning is by definition drying to the skin, so if you have to work in an air-conditioned environment, try to humidify the air a little extra. The same applies to an environment that is heated by radiators or stoves. A humidifier is certainly not a luxury and also prevents irritated dry eyes and airways. Be sure to put one in your bedroom so you don't get dehydrated at night.
Another cause can be a lot of washing and showering or not cleaning the skin properly. With every wash, fatty substances and protective substances disappear from your skin. By cleaning too much or incorrectly, you break the barrier function of the skin and you also remove the good bacteria that keep your skin healthy. Showering less often and less hot can already make a big difference. And of course rubbing in after a shower should be a standard.
Finally, pay attention to the inner man. Dry skin is the result of dehydration. Literally it means that you have too little water and fats. Maybe you don't drink enough water, you don't eat enough water-rich food or you don't get enough (good) fats. These are very important for keeping your skin supple and healthy.
