7 Natural Remedies for Dry Skin

Published on 16/02/2023 & Updated on 05/12/2024

Dry skin, also known as xerosis or xeroderma, is a common condition that affects roughly 24% of people, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

While there are plenty of over-the-counter treatments available, many of us prefer natural remedies that soothe itchiness, flaking and roughness without the harsh chemicals that can sometimes make dryness worse.

To help you get started, we've rounded up seven of the best natural remedies to nourish dry skin and support a healthy skin barrier:

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil forms a protective layer over the skin, helping your skin barrier lock in moisture. It's also rich in nourishing fatty acids that support skin elasticity and hydration.

If you’re looking to purchase coconut oil that you can use on your skin and hair, buy organic and non-hydrogenatedcoconut oil, or opt for a product that contains a high amount of coconut oil extract. 

How to Use Coconut Oil for Dry Skin

Scoop a small amount of coconut oil into your hands and warm it between your palms until it melts. You can massage coconut oil into dry areas of skin on your body as often as you need.

While coconut oil is a staple ingredient for nourishing dry skin and hair, avoid using it on your face.Coconut oil is highly comedogenic and can cause breakouts.

Coconut oil is a natural moisturiser that can support your skin barrier, making it useful for soothing and treating dry skin on your body.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is another crowd favourite. Just like coconut oil, it functions as a moisturiser that can hydrate dry skin. However, it also contains antioxidants that can help repair damaged skin cells and promote collagen production, which helps new cells to grow and replace dead skin cells, as well asgives structure, strength and elasticity to your skin.

To use aloe vera, extract the gel from the plant by cutting off one of the outermost leaves, and carefully slicing away the skin. This will reveal slabs of clear aloe vera gel that can be applied directly to the skin. 

You can also use aloe vera as a hair mask to promote healthy hair growth.

3. Honey

Honey is a natural humectant, which means it helps attract water from the air or from deeper in the skin. In addition to this, honey contains nutrients and antioxidants that are thought to promote skin cell regeneration, reduce redness and add moisture. It is no surprise then, that honey is a fantastic natural remedy for dry skin.

Simply massage raw honey directly into your skin in a circular motion to hydrate and exfoliate skin, and promote elasticity and firmness.

4. Cucumber

Cucumber contains antioxidants and vitamins that can help to promote overall skin health. It’s important to note that cucumber is 96% water, and water alone isn’t enough to moisturise your skin. However, cucumber can feel soothing on dry skin, especially if you're experiencing itchiness.

How to Use Cucumber for Dry Skin

While eating cucumbers and drinking cucumber water will nourish your body and promote hydration, you can also use cucumber topically on your skin:

• For Dry or Puffy Eyes: Cucumber slices can soothe and hydrate tired eyes, followed up with eye cream to lock in the moisture.
  
• A Cooling Spritz: Fresh cucumber water can cool your face, particularly if you're experiencing hot flushes or on long days.
• A Face Mask: Mix cucumber with coconut oil, aloe vera, and honey, then leave it on for 10-20 minutes for a hydrating, soothing mask.

5. Colloidal Oats

If you’re looking for a natural exfoliant, colloidal oats can help to remove dead skin cells — in fact, it’s so effective that it’s found in a lot of cosmetic products. 

This is because, alongside both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, oatmeal helps to create a protective barrier to keep the skin from losing excess water, and staying moisturised for longer. 

Although you can mix oatmeal with water to form a paste, and gently apply it to your skin, the most popular method is having an oatmeal bath. All you need is plain ground oats and a bathtub, where you can experiment with getting the oats to water ratio right, which you can then soak in. 

 6. Dry Brushing

Dry brushing involves using a dry, natural bristle body brush, to massage and exfoliate skin. 

This helps to lift and remove dead skin cells, and unclog pores to help eliminate toxins, which promotes softer, smoother and younger-looking skin.  In addition, dry brushing can boost lymph flow and lymphatic drainage, increase circulation, and leave us feeling energised (because it stimulates the nervous system).

How to Dry Brush Your Skin

To dry brush, stroke the skin in long, sweeping motions, working your way upwards on limbs and in circular motions on the torso and back. You should use lighter pressure on sensitive areas, such as the abdomen and neck. Do this before or after a shower, and follow with a moisturiser (homemade or otherwise) to lock in hydration.

Although simple, dry brushing is highly effective for dry skin. Want to learn more? Read our complete guide on the benefits of dry brushing. If you have dry, sensitive skin, you can still dry brush, but you'll need to do so with care.

7. Avoid Habits That Lead to Dry Skin

While we're not always aware of it, lifestyle factors can cause or exacerbate our dry skin. If you're experiencing dry skin, it's worthing considering:

• Shower Temperature: Hot showers strip our skin of its natural oils. Moisturising directly after a shower can help too.
• Cleaning Products: Harsh chemicals can compromise our skin barrier, resulting in dryness. Wear gloves and use gentle, eco-friendly cleaning products where you can.
• Cold Temperatures: Low humidity in winter and central heating make it more likely that we will experience dry skin. That's why it's a good idea to switch to heavier moisturisers or to moisturise more often when it's cold.

Dry skin can also be caused by vitamin or mineral deficiencies, or by takin certain medications. In addition to external factors, some conditions can cause excessively dry skin, such as dermatitis, psoriasis, diabetes and thyroid disease.

If you have severe or persistent dry skin, make sure to speak with your doctor or dermatologist to determine the underlying cause.

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