Dealing with Dry Skin in Utah
Have you ever wondered why your skin is so dry in Utah?
Many of our clients, especially those who have lived in other parts of the country, visit us because of complications with dry and cracked skin.
Dry skin, also referred to as xerosis, is itchy and irritating. Dry skin results from the loss of oils (sebum) in the skin that serve as a natural moisturizer. This may occur with excessive bathing (particularly with hot water), low humidity (in desert climates like Utah or cold winter weather), advancing age, or the use of drying soaps (antibacterial, deodorant soaps, Ivory).
In addition, several skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, lead to dry skin.
The tendency for dry skin runs in families and is usually a recurring problem, especially in winter. Because of this seasonal occurrence, it is sometimes referred to as “winter itch.”
It is important to regularly apply a moisturizer when your skin becomes dry. Moisturizer is best applied within 3 minutes after a shower or bath when your skin is still damp, but not wet.
Use hypoallergenic and fragrance-free moisturizers. The drier the skin, the “thicker” the moisturizer should be. For some people with very dry skin, petrolatum (Vaseline) is quickly absorbed and may be required to sufficiently moisturize the skin. Other effective moisturizers that are readily available include:
- CeraVe
- Cetaphil
- Eucerin
- Aquaphor
In severe cases, your Utah skin doctor may recommend a urea- or lactic-acid-based product.
© 2008 – 2010 Vivacare.
I’ve had quite a severe case of dry skin when I was about ten years old. I’ve had it on all of my limbs, and some on my neck and some on my belly. I’ve been to four doctotors, until finaly one recgnised it as dry skin. For two years I’ve been trying different creams, oils, greases (I’m sure I tried over 20) until one day, I’ve just randomly gotten some apple vinegar on my skin. And the dry skin faded on that spot. So I tried lubricating the dried skin with apple vinegar. In two weeks it dissapppeared entirely.
I appologise for my poor english; I’m not a native speaker.