Healthy skin relies heavily on a layer of moisture containing water and sebum, a waxy secretion your skin produces to prevent the water from evaporating or being wicked away. The epidermis, which is your skin’s outer layer, needs that moisture to reduce harmful friction, keep the skin flexible and pliable, and stop harmful substances from penetrating it.

When that layer of moisture dries up, the skin begins to lose its elasticity and become more susceptible to damage. There are various things that can cause the moisture to dry up, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Abrasion. If you sustain significant skin abrasion through general wear and tear (often through athletic activities) or simply scrubbing your skin too hard while washing, you can remove a lot of moisture and leave the skin drier and more vulnerable.
• Skin disorders. Various skin conditions cause dryness through disrupting the regular processes that produce healthy skin. Consider issues such as rosacea or psoriasis.
• Chemicals. Cleaning products, both those intended for use on skin and those intended for household chores, can sap the moisture from your skin. They can also cause skin damage resulting in additional dryness.
• Ageing. The older you get, the worse your body becomes at maintaining healthy skin, leading to loss of moisture and overall skin smoothness (and raising the importance of using moisturising skin treatments).
• Illness. Issues such as kidney disease or diabetes can lead to chronic skin dryness, making it worthwhile to get a full health checkup in the event that you develop a broad skin problem that seems extremely difficult to clear up.
• Environment. Spending a lot of time in hot and dry conditions will impact the moisture of your skin, and it’ll be particularly bad if you’re outdoors in windy weather.

It’s often easy to tell when you’re suffering from dry skin, particularly when it’s on an area of skin that’s typically visible (on your face, for instance, or your hand). In other cases, though, it can go unnoticed for quite some time — at least until the problem gets bad enough that the symptoms become unmissable. It’s best to be careful and check your skin regularly.

If you notice any of the following skin symptoms, whether mild or substantial, think about what may have prompted them (and aim to address them):

• Flaking or peeling. You may notice flakes of skin in your bed or your shower, or you may spot small pieces peeling away from your skin. The drier the skin, the more readily it will shed layers. Further abrasion will significantly worsen this, yet itchiness can make it extremely difficult to resist scratching.
• Tightness or inflexibility. Moisture gives skin its ability to stretch and hold together. When your skin gets dry, you can experience a feeling of tightness and notice a difference when you manipulate it (such as when you open and close your hand).
• Lines, cracks, or scales. Outside of certain areas subjected to frequent stresses (such as the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet), healthy skin is smooth and consistent. If a formerly-smooth patch of skin quickly becomes cracked and starts to scale over, it’s an indication that moisture is insufficient.
• General roughness. Skin should feel quite smooth to the touch. If your skin has started to feel rough and abrasive (and there’s no sign of an injury that would cause scarring), it’s likely due to a drop in skin moisture.

Significant discolouration. Dry areas will look redder on light skin and greyer on dark skin. Look out for discolouration of this kind with no other likely cause (such as bruising).

The main challenge when diagnosing dry skin is differentiating between a conventional lack of moisture (often stemming from excess washing or exposure to the elements) and a symptom of a larger issue. If there’s no particular evidence for the latter, it makes sense to opt for minimal treatment and see if that’s enough to resolve the issue.

A healthcare professional (often a GP or a dermatologist) will ask various relevant questions. They’ll likely want to cover any conditions you’ve dealt with, injuries you’ve suffered, and changes you’ve made to your skincare routine. They may also ask about whether the tendency to develop dry skin runs in your family, as it’s possible to have a hereditary vulnerability.

The first step is to gauge the severity of your skin dryness. If it’s somewhat minimal, you’ll need to start using a moisturiser (or emollient): depending on the general oiliness of your skin, you may want to use an ointment or a relatively non-greasy cream. A treatment such as E45 or Epaderm will be fine for daily use, and won’t require a prescription.

Keep in mind that some treatments are made for specific areas. CeraVe offers various such products, for instance, including CeraVe SA Renewing Foot Cream and CeraVe Eye Repair Cream. If you’re dealing with dryness in one such area, choosing a relevant treatment will help.

If the dryness of your skin is such that no plain emollient will help, it’s an indication that there’s a broader underlying issue for you to address. You may have a skin condition such as atopic dermatitis, for instance, or even a skin infection. Seek assistance from a healthcare professional so they can assess your condition and suggest an appropriate course of treatment.

You can’t entirely prevent dry skin from bothering you, but you can make it significantly less likely to appear. If there’s something in the conditions of your life that’s lowering the moisture of your skin, look for ways to take suitable action. For instance, it might help to stay out of windy weather, raise the humidity level of your living area, or wear protective clothing.

And if you don’t have a skincare routine already, it’s worth adopting one. Wash your skin regularly but not so much that it saps the natural oils. Use emollients on an everyday basis to lock in the moisture. These simple actions will often be enough to keep dry skin at bay.