Remedies for Rough Skin

If you suffer from rough skin it can be painful and uncomfortable. Skin can crack and you can become very self conscious.

There are a number of factors which can contribute to rough dry skin:

Weather - some environmental factors can result in dry skin. Most men and women may experience dry, rough skin in the winter months. The reason for this is the lack of natural moisture in the air and as a result your skin tends to crackle and develops a rough sand paper type of feel.

Lack of Essential Fats - This can make the cells dry out.

Lack of Vitamin A - Vitamin A is an antioxidant which can prevent damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin A helps to control the rate of keratin accumulation in the skin therefore a lack of this vitamin can contribute to dry, rough skin.

Dehydration - Drinking too much coffee or caffeine based drinks can lead to dehydration with adverse effects on the skin.

So what should you do to combat these factors?

• DIET: Your diet should be high in fruit and vegetables (especially yellow/orange/red ones which are high in beta carotene) and essential fatty acids from seeds, nuts or cold pressed oil. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, chemical additives, salt, saturated fat, sugar and smoking. Drink at least a litre of water a day, either plain water or in herb teas or watered down fruit juice.
• SUPPLEMENTS: Take a good, all-round vitamin and mineral supplement plus extra antioxidant nutrients - Vitamins A, C and E. Also borage oil or evening primrose oil can help with rough skin as it provides gamma linolenic acid.
• SKINCARE: Wash your skin with a gentle oil based cleanser, not soap which can further dry out the skin. Use a skincare cream that contains significant amounts of Vitamins A, C and E in forms that can penetrate the epidermis.

Here at The Cosmetic Practice we have a number of products suitable for extremely dry/rough skin. If you would like some advice on what to use then contact us and we would be more than happy to provide a free skincare consultation.