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Home Remedy for Flaky Skin

Flaky skin is usually dry skin. The skin becomes parched; dry patches appear on the skin, which flake off. Dry skin is caused by underactive sebaceous glands. These glands produce sebum, a natural lubricant. When not enough sebum is made, the skin is rough, cracked, flaky and more prone to wrinkles. Over-the-counter moisturizers can help but many of them contain chemicals that can irritate the skin further. Home remedies can lubricate the skin gently and without harsh chemicals.

  1. Using Cocoa Butter

    • Cocoa butter is an excellent choice for dry and flaky skin. It is a natural product made from the vegetable fat of cocoa beans. Unlike many moisturizers that only lubricate the surface of the skin, cocoa butter has been medically proven to penetrate deeper into the skin. Cocoa butter reaches the outer areas of the middle layer of the skin called the dermis. Cocoa butter is available as a stick, cream or lotion. Use whatever form suits you best. With cocoa butter, you can apply it several times a day without harmful side effects.

    Using Vitamin E Oil

    • Vitamin E is often recommended for treating scars, but it has other benefits as well. It is a natural lubricant that is a known antioxidant. Antioxidants protect the skin by removing free radicals or toxins that can harm the body. Another benefit of vitamin E oil is that it is inexpensive and sold in most drugstores. When purchasing a bottle of vitamin E oil, be certain you have the natural oil and not the synthetic oil According to the National Institutes of Health, the natural version is far more effective. You can also break open a capsule of vitamin E oil and apply its contents directly to the dry skin. The more international units (IU) the oil has, the thicker it is. There are some bottles of vitamin E oil sold with 1,000 to 70,000 IU. Start with the lower number until your skin becomes accustomed to the oil

    Using Lemon Balm Oil

    • One thing you must do with dry, flaky skin is to regularly exfoliate it. This means removing the dead skin cells that can flake off. Lemon balm oil is an essential oil that serves two purposes. The oil naturally lubricates the dry skin, giving it the moisture it needs. Another benefit is that lemon balm oil, like lemons, contains citric acid. This acid sloughs off the dead skin, leaving the skin softer and smoother. By sloughing off the dead skin cells, new skin that has a better and more hydrated texture can grow.

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