Washing your face too often with cold water can make skin dry. Dry skin is prone to irritation and can increase the noticeably of fine lines and wrinkles. Severe dryness causes flaking, cracking and even bleeding. Avoid unwanted dryness by changing your face-washing routine.
Causes
Washing the skin more than twice daily with cold water can lead to skin dryness. Extra washing strips the skin of natural moisture, making dry skin worse, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Skin dryness is further aggravated by using harsh soaps. Antibacterial soaps are the harshest on skin.
Treatment
Select a gentle cleanser and wash your face with cold water no more than twice daily so as not to deplete the skin of moisture. The AAD recommends applying a moisturizer within three minutes of washing. Choose moisturizers that contain urea and lactic acid. Hyaluronic acid is another effective ingredient. It holds water in the skin. Ingredients, such as petrolatum, mineral oil and lanolin also are effective in treating dry skin.
Warning
When choosing facial products, there are a few ingredients that experts say you should avoid. Anti-aging products that contain alpha-hydroxy acid or retinoids irritate dry skin, according to the AAD. Alcohol-based and scented products also can make skin dryer.
Considerations
Washing too frequently will make skin dry. However, there are other factors that could be exacerbating the problem. Sun exposure penetrates to the deepest layers of skin, causing excessive dryness. You should wear an SPF of at least 30 or higher daily, according to the AAD. This reduces risk for developing dry skin, irritation and skin cancer. Humidity changes and overuse of air conditioning and heating also dries out skin. Using a fireplace indoors also sucks the moisture from the skin. Combat this by using a humidifier in your home.
Warnings
A doctor should examine dry skin that doesn't get better with treatment. Medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders and eczema make skin dry and more sensitive, according to MayoClinic.com. Psoriasis is another skin condition that causes dry skin. Prescription ointments and creams are available through your doctor to treat severely dry skin.
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