Home Remedies for Dry Skin

Dry skin, a common complain in this world of dry, central-heated, air-conditioned environment, has no real cure. But skin can be made softer and smoother by employing a few home remedies for dry skin.

Soap can be harsh on the skin, so using a mild soap is the first step. Using a body wash product that is not a true soap but actually a detergent can also be helpful. But this can be a stop gap measure at best if the problem is chronic or of genetic origin. To build a bridge to this problem, there are home remedies that work very well.

Some of the best home remedies for dry skin include face packs made of fruits rich in vitamins C and E which have been shown to have beneficial effects on dry skin. Good fruits to use are peach, papaya and banana. Just puree the fruit, thin the pulp with a bit of water, and spread it on the face. In addition, a mask made of mashed avocado is another good choice as a home remedy for dry skin. Follow these natural choices with a mild lotion that can moisturize. This will retain the moisture produced by use of the face pack. If the lotion is oil based, all the better

Night care of the face is best built around a product with an alpha hydroxy acid in it. These compounds are derived from milk, sugar and some kinds of fruits. These products will give you fresh looking skin upon rising. But be warned: these products are more oily than most so they can work for a longer time, the eight hours you are asleep for example. So do not expect them to soak readily into the skin.

Diet cannot be overlooked. Leafy green vegetables, and fruits containing vitamins A, B and E bring an inner glow to the skin. Hydration cannot be ignored either. Try to start with the old idea of eight glasses of water a day.

There is one herb that must be singled out in any discussion about home remedies for dry skin, and that herb is aloe vera. With references that go back to Biblical times, this North African plant is widely used in cosmetics and is being marketed as having rejuvenating, healing or soothing properties. The scientific community has yet to come up with a biochemical basis for some of the claims associated with aloe vera. Nevertheless, extracts of aloe vera have been proven to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Specifically they have been shown to inhibit the fungus that causes tinea. However, direct control of these microorganisms underneath the skin has yet to be proven.