The Best Dry Skin Natural Remedies
By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), Naturopathic Doctor
Beautiful, healthy, glowing skin on your face and body – is there anyone who doesn’t want that? A balanced complexion isn’t just beautiful, it can also signify the state of your health, youthfulness, even your happiness or stress level. Of course, these messages are happening on a subconscious level, but they are so pervasively accepted, that taking care of your skin is a drive that has become a billion dollar industry – all working from the outside in, and not usually working as well as we are lead to believe.
Achieving truly healthy skin isn’t as simple as buying expensive, chemical-filled creams and committing to invasive procedures. In fact, the key to getting what you want on the outside isn’t on the outside at all! Getting the healthy happy skin you’ve always wanted starts by focusing on the inside out!
Our skin is our largest organ and its health is threatened all the time. Between exposure to the elements, stress, pollution, poor nutrition, dry air and of course, natural aging, our skin is constantly fighting for its health.
So how can we maintain healthy, glowing skin when the odds are stacked against us? By giving our skin the nourishment, attention and care it so rightly deserves.
5 of the Best Dry Skin Remedies for Healthier Skin Everywhere
Reduce inflammatory foods
Inflammation isn’t just the root of disease, it can also be the root of many skin ailments including acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Just as reducing inflammatory foods can positively affect your other systems, the effect of reducing inflammatory foods can be read on the surface of your skin! Try removing common inflammatory foods for at least 4 weeks to start to see an improvement in your skin’s health.
Remove these Inflammatory Foods (that make skin dry and flaky) |
Best Dry Skin Foods that Fight Inflammation (to reduce skin redness and dryness) |
| Gluten
Wheat products Dairy (particularly cow’s milk and cheeses) Refined sugar Processed foods and beverages ‘Junk’ food ‘Fast’ food |
Dark, leafy greens
Tomatoes Berries Fatty fish Olive, avocado, and coconut oil Green Tea Water Probiotics |
Increase your water intake
We know that water is essential to helping our bodies function best, but did you know that it is the best way to ensure that nutrients are delivered effectively, and toxins are flushed out? Especially if you’re experiencing dry skin conditions, it’s important to make sure that you’re helping your body to rid itself of toxic residues and inflammatory chemicals that could be causing these symptoms.
Start your day with a glass of water first thing and make sure that you’re getting enough hydration every day by eating and drinking adequate amounts. Remember that there’s water present in everything you eat and drink, especially if you’re juicing or consuming lots of fruit and veggies. Drink water whenever you feel a thirst coming on. In spite of the classic “Drink 8, 8-ounce glasses” per day advice, there’s really no magic amount of water everyone needs to consume per day to stay hydrated. But, new research suggests that women could safely consume a total of approximately 2.7 litres (91 ounces) of water from all beverages and foods each day and that men could safely drink about 3.7 litres (125 ounces) daily.
Collagen
Collagen is what gives your skin support and firmness, and most of us are deficient in collagen! Daily collagen consumption will help to maintain internal collagen levels. Try bone broth soup made with a high collagen base like chicken feet, or add some hydrolyzed collagen powder in your smoothie! Increasing your intake of vitamin C can help your body to make more collagen.
Hyaluronic Acid
As much as we can influence our skin health from the inside out, you can – and you should – also take care of your largest organ from the outside in too. That way you can meet in the middle, so to speak. Hyaluronic acid is an incredible hydrophilic (water-loving) chemical that is found naturally in our bodies, particularly in our eyes and joints. Its moisturizing, hydrating properties are why it’s so often used to treat arthritis, cataracts, and even dry eyes. Because of this, hyaluronic acid is also one of the best dry skin treatments. Here’s why:
As we age, our skin’s ability to preserve moisture slows down, and we start to lose firmness, elasticity, and fullness. Hyaluronic acid has an incredible ability to replenish the moisture we lose, helping skin to look and feel softer, smoother, and glowy because of is super hydration effects.
Because it’s one of the most studied and best dry skin ingredients, you can find many topical skin care products and anti-aging treatments that feature hyaluronic acid. Along with wearing a suitable SPF, topical hyaluronic acid is a fantastic way to heal your skin from the outside in while you increase your glowing health from the inside out.
Coconut Oil
Plain old coconut oil is one of our favourite moisturisers to reduce inflammation and help your skin retain moisture. Plus it’s edible so you’re not introducing anything toxic into your system.
The Best Natural Skin Care Products
While it’s important to have a good skincare regimen, it’s also important to know what’s in the products you put on your face. Seek out quality ingredients that will enhance your health and not add a toxic burden to your system. We like organic skin care lines like Ilya, Eminence, and natural Canadian skincare brands like Buck Naked, and Living Libations. There are lots of good natural care products for your skin, please choose wisely. The Environmental Working Group website is a good resource for researching ingredients and their safety or toxicity.
Now that you’re ready to take care of your largest organ from the inside out and the outside in, there’s one more thing – and that’s enjoying the self-care process of maintaining beautiful, healthy skin! After all, skin care should be pampering as well as effective. Here’s one of our favourite DIY masks to help you on your journey to your most healthy skin:
Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-acne Mask to soothe redness and calm reactive skin:
1/4 cup whole grain oats
2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch ground turmeric
Blend together in a blender and spread on cleansed skin. Leave on for 15-20 mins rinse off with warm and then cool water followed by a natural lotion or pure coconut oil.
To your good health,
The Team at Forces of Nature Wellness Clinic