Itchy, dry skin is very unpleasant. Winter makes it worse, and spending money on expensive over-the-counter remedies often doesn't work. So what can you do to soothe that cracking skin of yours? In this article we'll offer some home remedies that will get you closer to the smooth skin you desire.

Removing the Roughness

You could sand a cabinet with your palm. Your legs look like you're molting. And you're afraid if you shake hands with your new boss, he'll think you're part alligator. Yes, you've got dry skin. If only you could shed your itchy, scaly, rough skin and get a new luxurious, supple, soft covering every year. Unfortunately, people have to keep the skin they're in for a lifetime. That means a lot of years dealing with skin problems such as dry skin. Millions of people cope with dry skin every year, helping to make the skin care business a billion dollar industry. There are no magic ways to give you back baby soft skin. But knowing why your skin gets dry and learning simple ways to hydrate your skin will keep it from singing "How Dry I Am" for a lifetime.

Super Skin

Your skin is much more than a covering for your bones. It is a shield against the environment, protecting you from disease-causing bacteria. The skin carries blood vessels and is a home for your nerve endings (that's why you're so ticklish). And the on/off nozzle for your sweat glands is found in the surface of your skin. Of course, since it's also the part of your body that faces the harshest outside obstacles, it tends to get a lot more wear and tear.

Dry skin is one of the more frustrating skin problems. Ideally, your skin gets saturated with moisture from your sweat glands and tissues that lie beneath the skin, and oil produced by the skin's sebaceous glands seals the deal by holding onto that moisture. But when your body has trouble holding in the water and oil that it needs to keep skin moist, you end up with dry skin.

Why You're So Dry

There are lots of reasons why skin loses moisture. Sometimes you inherit the tendency to have parched skin--your skin may not be able to hold onto water very well or your sweat glands may not produce as much moisture as other people's. And as you get older, your skin produces less oil, which means you can't retain water on your skin as you once could.

Besides genetics and getting older, there are environmental reasons why skin gets so dry. These include:

The air out there (or in there). The main reason you get scaly skin is low humidity. Though Old Man Winter is the one to blame for most climate-related dry skin problems, he's not the only culprit. Anywhere you encounter low humidity, you'll encounter dry skin. Heating or air conditioning can both dry out your skin.

You aren't Daffy. Water may roll off a duck's back, but human skin doesn't work that way. Too much water, especially from hot showers or baths or from hot tubs, can cause problems. The more you wet down and dry off, the less able your skin is to retain water. So if you take a couple of hot showers a day, you can remove vital oils from your skin that help keep your skin moist. Spending too much time in hot tubs can cause the same itchy, flaky skin problems.

Cleaning up can leave you dry. Harsh detergents, soaps, and household cleaners could give you a case of alligator hands. Learn to sidestep this condition with a few simple tips and home remedies .

HOME REMEDY TREATMENTS FOR DRY SKIN

The home remedies found below are easy to locate in your own home kitchen, and will relieve you from some of the discomfort that comes from dry skin.

From the Home Remedies Cupboard

Baking soda. Instead of using an abrasive dishwashing cleanser, try sprinkling skin-friendly baking soda in your dishwater. Baking soda is also a skin-friendly alternative to jumping in a hot shower. Try a sponge bath using 4 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart water. A baking soda soak is a folk remedy to relieve itching. Add 1 cup baking soda to a tub of hot water. Soak for 30 minutes and air dry.

Cornstarch. You may think cornstarch can only be used to thicken your gravy, but it's also useful in easing itchy, dry skin. Sprinkle a handful in the bathtub and have a soak.

Oatmeal. Adding instant oatmeal to your bath will soothe your skin. The oats are packed with vitamin E, a nutrient vital to healthy skin. Oatmeal is also used as a folk remedy for treating dry, chapped hands. Rub your hands with wet oatmeal instead of soap. Dry your hands with a towel, then rub them with dry oatmeal.

Salt. Massage a handful of salt onto wet skin after a shower or bath. It will remove dry skin and make your skin smooth.

Vegetable oil. Coating yourself with vegetable oil may make you feel like a French fry, but your skin will love you. In fact, experts say that any oil, from vegetable to sunflower to peanut, offers relief from dry skin.

Vinegar. Try this folk remedy for chapped hands: Wash and dry hands thoroughly, then apply vinegar. Put on a pair of soft gloves and leave them on overnight.

From the Home Remedies Drawer

Vinyl gloves. Whenever you wash dishes, clean the bathroom, or dust the furniture, wear vinyl gloves to protect your hands from chapping, chaffing, and harsh chemicals.

From the Home Remedies Stove

Water. Put some water on for a slow boil to raise the humidity in your house.

Do Remember

Be cool. Take lukewarm or cool showers. This may not sound very appealing if you like lounging in the hot steam, but your skin will thank you. Hot water draws out skin's valuable oils, which will dry out your skin.

Be selective about soap. Pretty, perfume-laden soap may look and smell nice, but it can leave your skin screaming. Try soaps with fat or oil in them, such as Dove or Basis. Liquid soaps tend to be milder than bar soaps.

Douse while you're still damp. Slathering lotion on damp skin is your best bet for retaining moisture. When you get out of the bath or shower, pat, don't rub, to get rid of just enough water so you don't leave a wet trail to the sink. Then spread on your lotion while you've still got droplets clinging to your skin. This will help seal in the moisture.

Avoid alcohol. 

That means both the kind you drink and the kind you use to cleanse. Drinking alcohol can cause your body to soak up water from skin. Limit yourself to no more than 2 ounces a day to keep your skin healthy. Alcohol-based cleansing products (such as astringents) dry out your skin, too. It's best to skip them altogether.

Watch the sun.

 You put your wet tennies outside to dry out. Well, just as the sun evaporates moisture from your water-soaked shoes, it evaporates moisture from your skin. Though a little bit of that evaporation is healthy (sweat evaporating keeps you cool when you exercise), too much can be a problem. So protect your skin by wearing sunscreen and moisturizing lotions if you spend lots of time in the sun.

Rehydrate your skin with lotion after using any degreasers or solvents when painting around the house.

Just a few simple home remedies could have you feeling smooth in no time, and ready to take on the worst the sun and wind can throw at you.