You see it everywhere this time of year, that white flaky stuff. No, not snow, I’m talking about your skin, your dry, flaky, itchy skin. Dry skin is a very common problem, and is often exacerbated during the winter when we tend to spend more time indoors with humidity-sucking heaters. Dry skin knows no economic or cultural barriers. It occurs at all ages and in people with or without other skin problems. It’s annoying, unattractive and can even be downright painful. So what’s a harried mum to do? We are already way too busy to divert our schedules to include scratching time.

Water is your friend here, but not in the way you think. Applying water alone to your skin (especially hot water) can actually worsen the problem because it removes skin’s normal, protective oils. However, if you follow any water application with a moisturiser you’ll help trap and seal water in your skin making it softer, smoother and less likely to become dry, cracked and itchy.


The first step is take showers instead of baths. While a long, hot soak in the tub sounds delightful; that long bath will increase the loss of natural oils from your skin and the reality is you probably don’t really have the time for a soak anyway.

Then, as soon as you get out of the shower, apply moisturiser while your skin is still damp. Your skin shouldn't be sopping wet -- just pat yourself dry (don’t rub) with a towel then lather the moisturiser on. Let it soak in for a few minutes, and then towel off any excess.

Now that you’ve got the routine, you need to make sure you get the get the right type of moisturiser. Experts recommend that people with dry skin get mild perfume-free moisturisers. Fortunately the relatively cheap stuff you can find at a chemist is often better than many high-end, pricey products. The moisturiser should also be thick and greasy for good dry skin care. Be sure to apply moisturiser throughout the day. You can stick a travel size in your purse for easy access.
Any way that you can increase the humidity level in the air of your home is also good way to combat dry skin. If possible, you can add a humidifier to the central heating system of your home. If you’re renting and/or adding one to the central system not feasible, you can get a portable humidifier for fairly cheap and it will do a decent job of adding water back into your living environment.

Other preventative measures include:

• Avoid caffeine, smoking, and alcohol. They act as diuretics and are guaranteed to suck you dry! You might not be able to avoid them entirely (personally I’d rather scratch myself raw than give up my morning coffee), but try and keep your consumption in check and definitely cut down when you are particularly itchy.

• Increase the Essential Fatty Acids in your diet. Chow down on cold-water fish, walnuts and flax seeds. These are all rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help replace moisture in dry hair and skin.

• Protect your skin from the elements. Wind, sun, heat, cold and dry office and airplane air can quickly cause or exacerbate the condition of dry skin. Apply a moisturiser before exposing your skin to these moisture-sapping conditions

• Use only gentle cleansers and avoid deodorant soaps and harsh abrasives. Use a moisturising soap, soap-free product, or a gentle, grain-based cleanser.

If all these measures still don’t help, you might want to think about relocating to a warm, humid environment for a few months. A quick to trip to the rainforest can solve all your skin problems. Of course your hair will look awful…

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