Usually, dry skin does not signify any skin anomaly or disease, but may be just due to harsh soaps and skin care products, synthetic clothing, misusing your moisturizer, and very hot showers. On the other hand certain medicines that you take and some medical conditions like psoriasis, diabetes, and hypothyroidism can cause severe dryness of the skin.
The skin is coated with a thin layer of natural lipids that lock in moisture, and keep your skin soft, supple and healthy. Typically, something in the environment or something you are applying on your skin is stripping away the fatty oils, leaving the skin unprotected and dry. Patches of dry, flaky skin can appear anywhere; it is commonest on the arms, hands, legs and feet.
What Causes Dry Skin On Your Feet?
- Dry air is the commonest cause for dry skin, particularly in winters. While the cold and dry weather dries your skin, another major issue is the dry heat churned out by the heating system. In summers, air conditioning has a similar effect.
- Prolonged exposure to water, in particular hot water, can remove all natural oils that protect your skin.
- Soap strips away your skin’s natural oils, and we usually tend to use too much of it. Those that have too much of fragrance, those that are touted as anti-bacterial and those which lather too much are the major culprits.
- Several medicines have the side effect of drying out your skin. These include medicines for hypertension, acne, etc. in case you notice the start of excessive drying of your skin after starting the medication; you need to confer with your doctor.
- Dry skin is known to develop when people get older, principally in women. Changes in the hormone profile can cause dryness of the skin.
- Skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema causes dry skin on feet.
- Poorly controlled blood glucose level leads to dehydration, and that dries the skin.
- Hypothyroidism; low levels of the thyroid hormone decreases the quantity of oil synthesized by the skin. Consequently, the skin becomes dry.
- Malnutrition is another frequently seen cause for dry skin. Not getting the adequate amount of nutrients that your body requires can leave your skin exceedingly dry and flaky.
Natural Home Remedies For Dry Skin On Feet
These home remedies will help manage dryness of skin significantly; nonetheless it is very crucial that you ascertain the exact cause and tackle it appropriately:
- Olive oil: Olive oil is loaded with vitamin E which nourishes the skin and keeps it soft and moisturized. Use it on the feet daily, especially every night. You could add essential oils to olive oil, such as lavender or myrtle which also keep the skin well hydrated and healthy looking. And make sure you wear socks after you massage the oil blend in to your feet.
- Cocoa butter: Cocoa butter is an excellent moisturizer for practically all skin types. It lubricates the skin with the choicest of nutrients and keeps the skin looking healthy and radiant. It banishes dry skin almost instantaneously.
- Yogurt and honey: The combination of yogurt and honey yields brilliant results. Yogurt makes the skin soft and supple while honey moisturizes it.
- Avoid wearing scratchy, synthetic clothes. Also, do not use harsh detergents to wash your clothes; that could make your skin dry and itchy too.