Dry Skin Care

Normal skin has a soft, supple texture because of its water content. For skin to feel soft, pliable and "normal," its top layer must contain a minimum of 10% water and ideally between 20% and 35%. To help protect the outer layer of skin from losing water, the skin's sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum. Sebum is a complex mixture of fatty acids, sugars, waxes and other natural chemicals that form a protective barrier against water evaporation. If the skin doesn't have enough sebum, it loses water and feels dry. If environmental factors cause more water evaporation and overwhelm the ability of sebum to prevent water loss, the skin will shrivel and crack.
Dry skin, also called xerosis, is a very common problem, affecting people of all ages, even infants. Most cases of dry skin are related to one or more of the following factors:
* Decreased production of sebum is often a factor in the elderly, since the number of sebaceous glands in the skin tends to decrease with age. Aging also may cause blood flow to the skin to decrease, causing a drop in sebum production.
* Loss of existing sebum usually is caused by lifestyle factors, such as […]

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