Help! My skin is flaking! WHY won't my soap help?!

The other day, a friend and I were discussing some flaky skin issues she was having. I found out she was going about the problem all wrong (understandably!) 

She was trying to use soap to scrub the area in hopes it would add more moisture and fix the flaking. 

It's no wonder the problem didn't get better. It couldn't! Between this dry, frigid winter, and the soap, there's no way the problem could go away. 

That's because of the very nature of soap. 

Soap's #1 job is to clean our skin. Soap works by striping away the natural oils. And while this is a great thing when it comes to germs and bacteria, it can be a nightmare for your skin's moisture! 

Soap is a lot like food. Except it doesn't taste good.... aaaand sometimes it doesn't smell like good eats. And usually we don't rub food all over our naked bodies (I said usually, there are exceptions!)

What I mean is making soap starts with formulating a recipe. What ingredients you put in that soap and how much determines how much oil will be stripped from your skin. 

 

For instance, a soap with high amounts of coconut oil is drying to most people's skin, and large amounts of olive oil are often less drying and more gentle. 

Two opposite ends of the spectrum, both of which have their benefits and downfalls. 

A bar high in coconut oil is more bubbly and hard. They also lather better in many types of water (did you know soap can't lather in salt water unless it has lots of coconut oil?!) 

A bar high in olive oil has a more creamy, some say slimy lather, with a lot less bubbles, and unless it's cured for like a year, they often melt quicker and get soft, but it's super gentle on the skin.

These are just two examples. There's literally hundreds of oils in the world that can be used to make soap. In the end, after one big fancy scientific process, the end result is a little bar that can potentially save your life (wash those hands!) AND dry the hell out of your skin. 

If the top layer of your skin is broken and flaking, the last thing your skin needs is for more oil to be removed. If you're using your soap to fix a dry area, STOP! 

It's not your fault!

We've been mislead by sexy commercials promising glowing, moisturized skin from beauty bars and body washes for years. Those models always have the smoothest most perfect skin ever, never a flake in sight. 

But what they don't tell you is that soap is different than body wash and beauty bars. They're made differently and have different ingredients and purposes. And of course, some body washes and beauty bars are drying, too.

So what should you do about those dry, flaky patches of skin? 

Assuming there are no medical reasons, you need to MOISTURIZE! You need to replace those bad boy oils that were stripped away by your well meaning friend, Mr. Soap.

Here are some steps you can take to get started now before the warm weather hits , so you don't choose sweating to death while still wearing your winter clothes out of embarrassment for showing your own skin: 

1. Drink water  Healthy skin always starts from the inside. You can't fix the dryness outside if the inside of your body is crawling through the Sahara Desert towards a mirage of spring water bursting through the sand.
2. Consider Taking a Collagen Supplement Collagen is important for healthy skin and some studies show it can help repair it. You can also drink a good quality bone broth to consume Collagen.
3. Use a Body Oil After stepping out of the shower or bath, grab a fast absorbing body oil and slather it from head to toe (avoiding your hair) while your skin is still damp. This will replenish the lost oils from washing, trapping in the water. 
4. Follow Up with a Nourishing Lotion   

 Bonus points if the lotion smells the same as the oil so you can layer your favorite scent! Apply a moisturizing body lotion on your skin to help lock in the oil (you don't want that oil on your clothes!) Bonus points if this is at night right before bed. Skin loves sleep! 

 

Do this everytime you bathe and you'll surely see a big change in your skin! Remember to always do a patch test when trying new skin care products, though, to avoid breakouts or irritation. 

Lastly, if the problem persists, maybe your soap just sucks for your skin. It's ok, we're all made differently and we're all unique in our own ways. This is why it's a good thing there are endless varieties of soaps because then we can all find what actually works for us. 

So try switching your soap if your skin feels tight and dry when you get out of the shower. Find something milder that will strip away less of your natural oils. 

You've got this! dry, flaky skin is not a life sentence. You'll be strutting around showing off your new, smooth skin in no time, with way more gusto than those models in the TV commercials because your skin's gonna look even better!

Talk soon,

Lindsay xoxo