How to Treat Dry, Cracked Skin

Dry, cracked skin can happen any season, anywhere.

Luckily, there are many products that can prevent dry skin year-round. Read on to learn about what causes cracked skin and why lanolin products offer the best in long-lasting hydration.

What causes dry skin?

Dry skin can occur for any number of reasons. These are just a handful of the most common causes of cracked skin that you might relate to:

• Environmental factors such as cold, windy, or low-humidity climates dry out skin.
• Over-washing or scrubbing your skin can make it extremely dry and remove its natural oils. The same is true if you take long showers or baths that are too hot.
• Soaps, detergents, and skincare products with artificial fragrances and ingredients can cause skin irritation because they are meant to remove oil.
• Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can cause extremely dry, chapped skin.
• Aging affects your skin, making it thinner and reducing the amount of natural oil it produces.

Of course, these are only a few of the main causes of dry, chapped lips and skin. Other medical treatments, environmental factors, and habits can also leave your skin in need of more hydration.

Do’s and don’ts of dealing with parched skin

When it comes to improving extremely dry skin, there are some things you should and shouldn’t do to help the process.

Do use natural, semi-occlusive ingredients such as shea butter or lanolin ointment to help hydrate skin.

Do listen to application instructions. A pea-sized amount of many products goes a long way to giving your skin the hydration it needs without overdoing it.

Do create a comprehensive skincare routine. Along with face and lip care, make sure to also take care of your hands, feet, legs, and arms.

Don’t over-exfoliate or wash your skin too often. This can damage your skin’s natural barrier and cause irritation and inflammation. Limit your exfoliation routine to once or twice a week.

Don’t use harsh cleaners with artificial ingredients, including fragrances or glycolic acid. These ingredients can do more harm than good if you have dry skin because they can further strip it of moisture.

Don’t smother your skin in waxy substances. This is a popular trend in skincare of late, but using too much moisturizer can actually suffocate your skin.

Benefits of lanolin for dry skin

Lanolin lip balms and treatments are some of the best for dry, cracked skin. That’s because lanolin is a deeply moisturizing oil naturally occurring in sheep’s wool that mimics the lipids found in human skin.

Lanolin for skin is incredibly hydrating but still allows your skin to breathe. It makes for ideal multipurpose skin cream and is the hero ingredient in our lip treatments, including our tinted lip balms.

In fact, when our 101 Dry Skin Super Cream - Multipurpose For Face + Body was tested in a hydration study, there was a 98% increase in skin hydration after one use.

View our collection of lanolin lip balms and treatments today!