Introduction
Dry skin is a common problem that occurs when not enough water is available in the outer most layer of your skin, called the stratum corneum. Dry skin can be caused by a variety of factors. For example, dry skin can be the result of exposure to a dry environment, especially in winter time when moving from the dry cold outdoors to the artificially heated indoors. Dry skin can also be caused by a natural drop in production of a protective oil your body makes called sebum. Sebum provides a natural protective barrier between your skin and the environment, limiting the evaporation of water from your skin cells. Regardless of its causes, one of the first places many people turn to when dealing with dry skin is moisturizing lotion.
Occlusive Emollients
One way that lotion helps heal dry skin is by including occlusive emollient active ingredients in their products, such as cocoa butter or cetearyl alcohol. When occlusive emollients are applied to the skin, they leave an invisible layer of oil similar to that of sebum. This layer helps slow the escape of moisture from the skin, which can help rehydrate dry skin cells.
Humectants
Many lotions also employ humectants as active ingredients to help dry skin. Humectants help heal dry skin in two main ways. First, humectants have the ability to draw moisture from the deeper dermis into the epidermis. The dermis is the layer of skin tissue between the subcutaneous tissue and epidermis. Humectants also help heal dry skin by drawing moisture from the surrounding environment. Humectants draw moisture from the air and hold it close to the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis), helping keep the outer layer of skin cells moisturized.
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