Some important tips:
1) Use a glycerine based soap such as pears or dove.Do not wash your face for more than two or three times in a day. Avoid use of medicated soaps in winter.
2) Immediately after bathing, apply a good moisturising lotion(such as Nivea body lotion) on a MOIST surface.This helps to trap the moisture in the outermost layer of the skin namely the stratum corneum, as a result of which there is no dryness.The moisturiser should be applied along the direction of hair follicles, otherwise it could cause ingrowths of hair.
3) Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 20+ for face & arms in the daytime.
4) An oil based cold cream may be applied over the face & limbs at bedtime.
5) For cracked feet, soak your feet in lukewarm water for 10 to 15mins.Use a foot scraper to scrape away the dead skin.Finally, apply white petroleum jelly over a moist skin surface.
6) One must drink plenty of liquids in the form of water, lime or lemon juice, tender coconut water & other fruit juices(at least 8- 10 glasses a day).
7) Those with dry & damaged skin must have vitamin A in their diet. Dietary source of vit A are carrots, papaya, spinach, coriander leaves, drum sticks, pumpkins, animal foods such as butter, curd, egg yolk, liver, fish liver oil, fish & whole milk.
8) Evening primrose oil in the form of capsules( available as primosa or simrose) help in replenishing the lipids in the stratum corneum, thus maintaining the
moisture content of the skin.
9) Lastly, if you have a skin disease due to dry skin( such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, eczemas etc), please visit your dermatologist.
Dr Jaishree