Author: Dr Nick Lowe Category: Beauty, Body Care, Hands & Nails, Pro-Ageing, Skincare
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Skin gets drier as you age because the cells that form your outer skin barrier become less efficient and less productive with age

The skin barrier is the most important structure to maintain pliable hydrated skin.  When the skin barrier starts to become less efficient there is more water lost through the skin causing dry, flaky skin. 

Dryness is most frequent on the lower legs.  It is more frequent in the older person and it is also much more frequent in the winter months.  When I lived in the mid-west of the United States for two winters, I observed a new skin disease to me called winter itch!  This is where extremely low humidity coupled with very dry forced air central heating causes increased dryness and intense cracking of the skin due to a very damaged skin barrier. 

Ways of combating that are to avoid hot baths and showers which can also damage the skin barrier, use moisturisers instead of soaps to wash with.  Soaps will also damage the skin barrier.  Use treatments such as the moisturisers containing sphingolipids, moisturising cleansers such as soya bean, oats and moisturising hyaluronic acid or glycerin together with ingredients called natural moisturising factors which are urea, sphingolipids and a variety of other active ingredients.  Some highly effective moisturisers including Dr Nick Lowe’s The Secret is Out Lifting Cream Cleanser which can be used in the winter months with great success.  Dermol 500 lotion is excellent as a body wash and Aveeno Dry Skin Cream Washes are highly effective for cleansing the body.  The Dr Nick Lowe products have been formulated for day long hydration including the Double Duty Hand Cream, The Secrets is Out Day Cream, and The Neck and Décolletage creams.

These products help to protect and repair the skin barrier, thereby helping the skin to maintain good moisturisation.

Dr Nick Lowe