Use between one and three times daily or as instructed by your physician. Once skin is restored, continue using Dermatonics Dry Skin Balm to keep it moisturised. Recommended for adult use and children over 12 only. Do not use on broken skin. If local rash or irritation occurs, discontinue use immediately. For external use only.

Keep out of reach of children.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The skin is the largest and most visible organ in the body, comprising of 15% of total body weight.
• The total skin surface of an adult ranges from 12-20 square feet.
• Skin is made up of about 70% water, 28% protein and 2% lipids.
• The primary function of the skin is to act as a barrier between the internal workings of the human body and the external environment.
• For the skin to perform its functions of protection and regulation effectively, it must be healthy.
• How the skin feels can affect and impact your psychological wellbeing and body confidence.
• Reversely psychological factors such as stress and depression can be seen to affect skin’s condition.

• Dry skin isn't usually serious. In most cases it's caused by factors like hot or cold weather, low moisture in the air, and soaking in hot water.
• You can do a lot on your own to improve your skin, including using moisturizers and avoiding harsh, drying soaps. But sometimes dry skin happens often or is severe. In these cases, you may need help from a doctor who specializes in skin (dermatologist).

Dry skin is often temporary — but it may be a lifelong condition. Signs and symptoms of dry skin depend on your age, your health, where you live, time spent outdoors and the cause of the problem. Dry skin is likely to cause one or more of the following:

• A feeling of skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming
• Skin that feels and looks rough
• Itching (pruritus)
• Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling
• Fine lines or cracks
• Gray, ashy skin
• Redness
• Deep cracks that may bleed

Most cases of dry skin respond well to lifestyle and home remedies. See your doctor if:

• Your skin doesn't improve in spite of your best efforts
• Dry skin is accompanied by redness
• Dryness and itching interfere with sleeping
• You have open sores or infections from scratching
• You have large areas of scaling or peeling skin

CAUSES

• Dry skin (xerosis) often has an environmental cause. Certain diseases also can significantly affect your skin. Potential causes of dry skin include:
• Weather. Skin tends to be driest in winter, when temperatures and humidity levels plummet. But the season may not matter as much if you live in desert regions.
• Heat. Central heating, wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces all reduce humidity and dry your skin.
• Hot baths and showers. Taking long, hot showers or baths can dry your skin. So can frequent swimming, particularly in heavily chlorinated pools.
• Harsh soaps and detergents. Many popular soaps, detergents and shampoos strip moisture from your skin as they are formulated to remove oil.
• Other skin conditions. People with skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) or psoriasis are prone to dry skin.

RISK FACTOR

• Anyone can develop dry skin. But you may be more likely to develop the condition if you:
• Are in your 40s or older. The risk increases with age — more than 50 percent of older adults have dry skin.
• Live in dry, cold or low-humidity climates.
• Have a job that requires you to immerse your skin in water, such as nursing and hairstyling.
• Swim frequently in chlorinated pools.

Dry skin is usually harmless. But when it's not cared for, dry skin may lead to:

• Atopic dermatitis (eczema). If you're prone to develop this condition, excessive dryness can lead to activation of the disease, causing redness, cracking and inflammation.
• Infections. Dry skin may crack, allowing bacteria to enter, causing infections.
• These complications are most likely to occur when your skin's normal protective mechanisms are severely compromised. For example, severely dry skin can cause deep cracks or fissures, which can open and bleed, providing an avenue for invading bacteria.

Try these tips to keep skin from getting excessively dry:

• Moisturize. Moisturizer seals skin to keep water from escaping.
• Limit water exposure. Keep bath and shower time to 10 minutes or less. Turn the dial to warm, not hot. Try to bathe no more than once a day.
• Skip the drying soap. Try cleansing creams, gentle skin cleansers and shower gels with added moisturizers.
• Cover as much skin as possible in cold or windy weather. Winter can be especially drying to skin, so be sure to wear a scarf, hat and gloves when you go out.
• Wear rubber gloves. If you have to immerse your hands in water or are using harsh cleansers, wearing gloves can help protect your skin.