Can not drinking enough water be the cause of dry and flaking skin?”
Yes – not drinking enough water can make your skin dry and flaky. I notice the difference whenever I slake off on the water. Seeing that the human body is mostly water, it makes sense. Also, taking overly warm bathes and showers will dry out your skin too. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day – don’t count colas and coffes when you do this – and within a week to 10 days, you will see a big difference.
Our bodies need a certain amount of fluid intake to maintain healthy functions. If nothing else, increasing the amount of water you drink will make it easier for your body to correct the problem. A few years back, the skin under my eyes became dry, and I started putting a very small amount of Vaseline there right after my daily shower, while it was still moist, and the problem went away quickly. I don’t know if you use moisturizer, or if you’re comfortable with that solution, but you might try a mild one, or a small dab of petroleum jelly, and see if it works. Something else I just thought of is a possible vitamin deficiency; I am definitely no expert on this, but it’s worth looking into. Just another area to consider…good luck!
Dry skin is usually attributed to an impaired barrier function. The skin is protected by a thin layer of sweat and sebum called the acid mantle. The acid mantle can be stripped away not only by harsh detergents as you mention, but also by washing too frequently, and washing with soap with a high pH. The ph of the acid mantle is in the neighborhood of 4.5 (7.0 is neutral). Most bar soaps, because of the way they are made, have a pH around 10.0. Most liquid soaps (detergents, really) have a much lower pH. Is the water in your town highly chlorinated? Chlorine gives some people contact dermatitis. There are special filters you can buy for your shower that very cleverly remove the chlorine from your water by using vitamin C (check the web site at www.vitashower.com for more info). Sometimes dry skin can be caused by a vitamin A deficiency. You also might try using a lotion with a high percentage of urea (10% or more). Urea alters the h
