As we get older our skin produces less of the natural oil that helps it retain its moisture. There are many contributing factors that can dry our skin. For example, excessive bathing in hot water, or very dry air can cause your skin to become dry. Dry skin can be prevented. The key is to seal moisture into the skin.

For women, their skin is one of their most treasured assets. Poor skin can send a woman into a complete frenzy. Women understand that their skin is the very first thing others see and notice, making a first impression of you before you ever speak.

Many women fight to find a good skin care program. Misinformation often leads us down the wrong path. We struggle to combat one problem and often create another.

Most important is the nutrients our skin receives. Like the rest of our body our skin requires vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. To ensure your skin is getting the right nutrients and the rest of your body too, follow the recommended food intake guideline, and take a multi vitamin daily.

The loofah sponges have become very popular in the past few years. And yes they are wonderful at removing dead skin. The problem is it also removes the natural oils from your skin. Without these oils you become dry and flaky because your body is unable to naturally lubricate new skin layers. This is where we get into a vicious circle we use the loofah more to remove flaking skin then we flake more. My recommendation is to not use your loofah more than twice a week and to then apply moisturizer directly to your damp skin.

Water in itself is drying to the skin. It is best to avoid really hot showers, use a moisturizing cleanser and stay away from harsh soaps. Pat dry and immediately apply a moisturizer to your body. The moister the skin, the better. Water is moisture, so trapping water between the moisturizer and the skin is good for the skin.

You can also use alpha-hydroxy products on your face. These products help remove dead dry skin and hydrate the new skin beneath. A word of caution Do not over use these products.

If you have cracked skin on your hands you need to limit the amount of water your hands are exposed to. The more water on your hands, the harder it will be for them to heal. Use heavy moisturizing hand creams to help seal the moisture into the skin.

Recent studies by Duke University show that Vitamin C promotes collagen growth. Collagen is responsible for giving skin its elasticity and keeping it smooth and wrinkle free. The more collagen in the skin, the younger it will look.

Oxidation is also a contributing factor to the skin's aging process. Oxidation is caused by things like overexposure to the sun and heavy detergents, soaps, and chemicals. Its very important to use an antioxidant to nourish the skin so that it can better combat these contributing factors. Beta-Carotene is a very effective antioxidant.