The number of people with skin problems has been increasing in recent years. Moreover, there is a notable increase in people who admit to having sensitive and dry skin. There is a bit of difficulty finding a scientific definition for "sensitive skin" as there are many differing, measurable criteria for its definition. However, normal skin can develop a higher sensitivity when exposed to the following stimuli : sunburn; heavy skin-peeling; occupationally-related above normal exposure to water, alkalis and solvents, internal illnesses such as the increased skin dryness seen in age-related diabetes or the general itching that can accompany kidney diseases and psychological factors like stress. Dry skin is especially common in children under 10 and older people over 60. Between 10 to 50 years of age, the number of women with dry skin is markedly more than in the case of men. The common characteristic of dry skin are light scaling, tightness and sometimes, itching. Basically, there are two types of dry skin - normal dry skin and extreme dry skin. In both types, the cause is essentially a deficit…

The winter air can leave a chill in the air and on our skin that chaps and chafes our skin. And, the additional heat, can warm our hearts and our home, but dry out the air and again, our skin, leaving it dehydrated and dry. And, in both cases we can experience a common condition known as winter itch. According to experts dry skin is a direct by-product of a loss of moisture. They note, that depending on which layer (dermis or epidermis) the water content of the skin can vary, but is estimated at 80% for the epidermis, but much dry for the dermis, or surface layer of skin. In fact, according to the experts the dermis is comprised of dead skin cells and has a water content of about 10-30 percent. When the outer layer, the stratum corneum dries out, it loses its luster and results in dry skin. And, skin that is low on water and dry will fissure, making it more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. Moisturizers can help rehydrate the skin preventing further water…