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Dry Cracking Skin Cures Human skin has a thin outer most layer called stratum corneum, which consists of dead skin cells mixed with natural oils that are produced by the living skin cells in the layer below. These oils help trap the water that evaporates off our body and also protects it from irritants and bacteria trying to enter the body. Therefore the combination of dead skin cells and the oils in the stratum corneum retains the moisture in the skin; needed to keep our skin smooth and soft. Dry skin thus occurs when there is an insufficient amount of water in the stratum corneum caused by the use of very soapy water (washes away important natural oils), harsh chemicals in cosmetic products and the normal process of aging.
The loss of excess water causes the stratum corneum to dry up and shrink, which leads to the formation of cracks. There are a variety of preventive measures you can use to help dry skin. The first one is after bathing; apply oil or a moisturiser. This helps trap the water in the upper layers and softens the skin by reducing the rate of evaporation. Make sure that when you take a bath or shower it should be no longer than ten minutes and only once a day. Over- bathing especially with hot water, increases the loss of natural oils causing the skin to dry out further. Make sure you drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day and avoid substances like caffeine and aerated drinks as they tend to dehydrate the body.
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