How to Get Rid of Dry, Flaky Skin

Anyone who’s experienced the discomfort of dry, flaky skin knows how it feels to want a fast fix. Below you’ll find a brief list of dos and don’ts for dry skin, all supported by published research. Read on to find out how you can get rid of dry skin on your face, body, and lips.

What to do for dry flaky skin

It's important to know that dry skin is a skin type, not a temporary or seasonal condition. Because of this, you should use products designed to tackle dry, flaky skin all year-round.

Here are some of the most effective natural skincare ingredients best suited to help boost and/or retain moisture:

• Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in your skin — plus, as a skincare ingredient, it’s proven capable of holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It’s ideal for hydrating excessively dry skin (and can also help dehydrated skin).
• Ceramides are lipids (aka fats) that naturally comprise over 50% of the skin’s surface. One of their main functions is to prevent moisture loss. Just like hyaluronic acid, they’re virtually unmatched as skincare ingredients when it comes to helping get rid of dry, flaky skin. Ceramides can smooth, revive, and secure surface skin cells that would otherwise look dried out.
• Why are AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) great? Just like glycolic acid and lactic acid, not only do they exfoliate to remove the top layers of dead, dry skin, they also increase the skin’s ability to hold on to vital hydration, limiting future signs of dryness.
• Nourishing, non-fragrant plant oils such as jojoba, safflower, and sunflower (among a long list of others) can work wonders for dry skin that is scaly and flaky. Make sure you know the difference between soothing plant oils and fragrant essential oils, which are harsh, irritating, and drying. When in doubt, let our online ingredient dictionary be your guide.
• Omega fatty acids are also weightless hydrators for dry, flaky skin, with the ability to calm and soothe sensitivity as well as reinforce the skin’s surface.

How to treat dry, flaky skin

To heal dry skin, it’s essential to pay close attention to your skincare products’ ingredient lists, swap out products for those more suitable for dry and flaky skin  if needed, and perhaps change some ingrained skincare behaviours. Your newly soft, plumper-looking, smoother-feeling skin thereafter will be well worth the effort:

• Don’t put any fragranced products on your skin (yes, that includes lip and body products). Fragrance is the number one cause of sensitised skin.
• Don’t use products containing sensitising ingredients such as denatured alcohol, essential oils, mint, menthol, and eucalyptus.
• Don’t use products containing clays and starches; these adsorbents won’t damage your skin, but they can be drying if your skin isn’t oily.
• Don’t use abrasive scrubs to exfoliate; rather, use a gentle leave-on product that effortlessly sloughs off dead skin. This will allow your moisturizing products to absorb and work more effectively.

How to get rid of dry flaky skin on body

The rules of preventing dry, flaky skin on the body are essentially the same as for your face, with a couple of different things to keep in mind:

• Don’t use very hot water in the shower. We know a hot bath or shower feels perfect especially during a rainy or cold night but cooling the temperature a bit will help prevent uncomfortable dryness and flaking. Post-shower, apply a layer of soothing, emollient lotion. If your skin is very dry or even flaky and/or scaly, try a luxuriously thick body butter loaded with non-fragrant, plant-based oils and butters.
• Don’t use bar soap or bar cleansers on your body or face. Instead, switch to a hydrating cream or oil cleanser. The ingredients that keep soaps and bar cleansers in bar form can leave residues on skin that prevents your moisturizers from doing their job.
• Exfoliate regularly. Using a chemical exfoliant on your body, instead of a harsh scrub or abrasive brush will yield fantastic results. With regular body exfoliation, even chronically dry areas such as elbows and heels will become softer and smoother. Of course, always follow your exfoliation with a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer to lock in hydration.

How to get rid of dry flaky skin on hands?

It can be difficult to keep your hands hydrated because you wash them throughout the day. Applying a moisturizer loaded with skin replenishing ingredients, such as non-fragrant plant oils and ceramides, after each hand washing helps keep them feeling soft and smooth. If you’re using hand sanitiser, use the sanitiser first, then moisturize as soon as it’s dry.

In addition, applying a rich cream like the CLINICAL Ultra-Rich Moisturizer at night as well as wearing gloves to lock in that hydration when you go to bed can also go a long way in keeping the skin on your hands moisturized and flake-free.

How to get rid of dry flaky skin around your eyes?

Dry skin around the eyes isn’t uncommon because it's one of the areas of the face where we have the fewest oil glands, meaning the amount of natural moisture there is already lower than the other parts of the body. During the day, consider an eye cream boosted with omega fatty acids and ceramides that will help restore the skin’s barrier, alleviating dryness.

You can also combat dry flaky skin around your eyes by gently patting an eye cream loaded with emollients, like the RESIST Anti-Aging Eye Cream, on as the last step of your night-time skincare routine. You might be surprised how much of a difference this will make – even as soon as the next morning!

Learn more about dehydrated and dry skin.

You may also shop for moisturizers, as well as serums and sunscreens for dehydrated and dry skin, by Paula’s Choice Skincare.

References for this information

Annales de Dermatologie et de Vénéréologie, May 2018, pages 376–384

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, December 2017, pages 1–21

Skin Research and Technology, August 2015, pages 366–372

Clinical Cosmetic Investigative Dermatology, August 2015, pages 413–421

Essential Oil Safety, Second Edition, Tisserand, R., Young, R., Elsevier Ltd., 2014, pages 69–98

Journal of Clinical and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, October 2014, pages 2473–2483

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, July 2014, pages 177–184

Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, June 2014, pages 25–32

Archives of Dermatological Research, March 2013, pages 151–162

Aesthetic Dermatology, October 2012, pages 20–23; and March 2009, pages 38–43