When your skin is very dry, it could cause some unpleasant feelings and symptoms that may include itching, swollen, painful, and cracked body parts. As a result of this, your body may be exposed to dangerous viruses, bacteria, fungi, and allergens through the cracks in your scaly skin. What are the primary causes of dry skin? How can you solve this embarrassing health problem? What are the five common remedies for dry, cracked skin that you can use?

Causes of dry, cracked skin

You can have dry, cracked skin on your hands, feet, lips, and other parts of your body. The primary causes of dry skin are:

• Environment: Dry weather with low humidity and unstable temperatures can make your dry skin condition worse. If you are exercising too much, you can also lose some natural oils from your body, which naturally moisturize your skin. Working at extreme conditions can exacerbate dry skin problem. For instance, if your job requires washing hands often with cleaning agents that have toxic or hazardous materials, or even wearing latex gloves from time to time.
• Irritants: If you are overexposed to irritants in some skin care products (creams), harsh or scrubbing materials, and water, they can cause your skin to crack.
• Allergens: If you have skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, they can lead to scaly, itching, bleeding, and cracked skin. More so, some sunscreens, cosmetics, perfumes, medications, and gold and nickel jewelry can produce allergic reactions that will crack your skin.
• Lifestyle: Your lifestyle can influence your chances of having dry, cracked skin. There is a possibility that you may develop itching and scaly skin if you often overexpose your skin to sun, smoke, or put yourself in a stressful situation. More so, your diets, bathing, skin care treatment, and poor or irregular application of moisturizer can make your skin thickened and scaly.
• Genetics: Some people are naturally susceptible to dry, cracked skin because of their genes. Growing old, they tend to experience regular dry skin spells that may be attributed to their age and hereditary hormonal changes.

5 common remedies for dry, cracked skin

Your dermatologist may suggest using some formulated skin care products or ointments that may contain colloidal oats and petrolatum, but here are 5 common remedies you can use at home to combat dry, scaly skin:

• Avoid hot water–too much hot water can rob your skin of natural oils
• Moisturize your skin when it is still wet
• Do not overexpose your skin to harsh weathers, materials, and toxic substances
• Use the most appropriate skin therapy that can work for your body
• Change your lifestyle