Itching with dry skin: what you can do about it

The most common causes of itchy skin are a lack of skin oils and your skin’s natural moisturizing factors. If your skin produces little sebum, your skin barrier becomes unbalanced and loses its protective function.

• If you wash your skin too often, it can be damaged and turn from normal skin to permanently dry skin.
• Frequent contact with skin care products removes moisture and oil from your skin.
• In particular, cold winter weather or heavily air-conditioned rooms in summer can damage your skin. As a result, your skin becomes dry and starts to itch.
• The older we get, the more prone our skin is to dryness and itching.
• Dry skin can be influenced by many factors. These include, for example: shaving the skin, medication, climate and environmental factors, frequent washing, insect bites, aggressive detergents and cleaning agents, and extreme temperature changes.

To prevent dry skin and the associated itching, you can take preventive measures.

• To prevent and treat dry skin, you should choose a coordinated skin cleansing and skin care routine.
• Use skin care products that are moisturizing.
  Shower oils and shower gels should have a high fat content and be pH-neutral.

• Make sure that the products do not contain any skin-irritating substances. These include, for example, alcohol, parabens and fragrances.
• Use products that contain panthenol, glycerol or dexpanthenol. These have a soothing effect on your skin.
• To prevent your skin from becoming dry, you should drink enough every day.
• Avoid extensive and too hot showers or baths.
• Provide sufficient fresh air in your living space. Ventilate regularly to provide your skin with sufficient oxygen.
• Wear breathable clothing.
• You can use a quark or yoghurt mask as a home remedy. This will provide your skin with optimal oil and moisture.
• A good method against dry skin is a milk bath. Add one liter of milk and 200 ml of olive oil to your bath water.
• Apply olive oil directly to your dry and irritated skin.