The human skin is made up of several layers. The outermost layer is called the stratum corneum. It is the layer that casts off when the skin is sun burnt. It mostly comprises of dead skin cells. These cells hold water and natural oils that are produced from underlying layers of skin cells. Actually, natural oils also play a very important role in holding the water in stratum corneum. It is the presence of water which makes the skin soft, pliable and smooth to touch.

     Several factors like unnecessary use of soapy water, cold temperatures, exposure to strong chemicals like sodium laureth sulfate, and various dermatological diseases like eczema and dermatitis, decrease the amount of natural oils in stratum corneum. As a result, there is a marked decrease in the water content in the stratum corneum. The dry and moisture deficient stratum corneum shrinks and develops small cracks in it. This exposes the underlying skin cells to microbes and environmental allergens. In other words, the dryness of the skin makes it susceptible to infections, which in turn causes redness of the skin. This is the basic cause for dry red skin on face or anywhere else on the body.

     Dry Red Skin on Face: Treatment

     Find out the reason behind your dry red skin on face. Avoiding the very cause may make a lot of difference in treating dryness and redness. For example, inflammation can be treated with over-the-counter steroid creams to some extent. If you think that application of water will rectify the condition, then you probably don’t know that water will actually increase dryness by removing natural oils from the skin. In winter, the problem of dry red skin on face gets even worse. To add to this, you use hot water for bathing and other purposes. Hot water takes away natural oils from the skin. Therefore, as far as possible, you should use warm water instead of hot water for taking showers. Also read on natural skin care for dry skin. Read the rest of this entry »