are all factors that encourage the evaporation of water leading to dehydrated skin. I explain this to my patients so they can act on these factors, at least in their own homes.

Using very basic soaps and abrasives on the skin like pumice stones or horse hair gloves can also be a cause. Taking certain medicines (retinoids, corticosteroids) and eczema flare-ups caused by working in certain professions like hairdressing and construction also lead to dryness of the skin. Furthermore, hormonal ageing reduces dermal hydrophilic components.

I would prescribe humectant products that fix water within the skin’s corneocytes. But also hydrophilic products, that form gels in contact with water, or hydrophobic products, to create an air- and water-tight film at the surface of the skin, limiting water evaporation. I recommend ingredients that restructure the epidermal lipids to strengthen the corneal layer’s “brick wall”.