Nourish Your Skin: Essential Tips for Caring for dry skin

Dry skin is a common condition that can affect anyone, causing discomfort and even pain with symptoms like itching, scaling, and cracking.

Multiple factors contribute to dry skin, including environmental influences and certain medical conditions that deplete our skin's moisture. Some individuals naturally have drier skin.

Normally, our skin is vibrant and elastic, but during colder seasons, it's harder to maintain moisture balance in our skin. Cold weather reduces oil production from sebaceous glands, leading to difficulties in maintaining skin moisture. What’s more, the blood vessels under the skin contract, so the oxygen supply to the skin decreases.

The result is tight and scaly skin, with areas lacking fatty tissue and sebaceous glands, like shins, elbows, and knees, being especially vulnerable.

Dry skin can feel tight and can become painful and sore. Many people think that to counteract dry skin you have to repeatedly pile on the moisturiser, but that's not the case. In fact, what can happen when doing this is your pores become clogged and blemishes may start to appear.

What you must aim to do is find a moisturiser for dry skin that keeps your skin well hydrated and implement this into your skincare routine.

Try the NIVEA Nourishing Cocoa 5 in 1 Body Lotion, specially formulated for dry skin. It delivers 48h deep moisture, dry-out protection, and deep nourishment, resulting in smooth and healthy-looking skin, giving your skin the 5 in 1 complete care that it needs. For very dry skin, the NIVEA Radiant & Beauty Advanced Care is the product for you. It leaves your skin feeling and looking its best. It also helps to clear stretch marks and reduce their appearance.

• Do not use any irritating washing gels or heavily foaming make-up removal products on dry skin. They remove extra moisture from the skin and destroy its natural protective barriers. It is better to use a moisturising shower product such as NIVEA Crème Soft Shower Cream, which makes your skin smooth and supple whilst showering.
• Shower in lukewarm - not hot water
• Stay in the bath or shower for less than 10 minutes
• Pat the skin dry after washing instead of rubbing
• Choose deeply hydrating body moisturisers like the NIVEA Oil In Lotion Vanilla & Almond Oil for your daily care routine. This provides intensive care and prevents tightness and dehydration.

• You should drink at least two litres of water per day, as a lack of moisture also dries out your skin. If in doubt, test yourself: Pinch your hand with your thumb and index finger. If, after letting go, the skin returns slowly to its original state, your skin is not being supplied with sufficient moisture.
• Eat nuts! They are a delicious supply of energy and contain lots of healthy fats, minerals, and vitamins.
• Oily saltwater fish and dried apricots supply the body with calcium and are anti-ageing aids.
• Carrot and tomato juices are full of healthy vitamins that, with the addition of a little linseed oil, can be absorbed particularly well into the body.
• Having a balanced, healthy diet promotes health and strengthens your body’s largest organ: your skin.