Beautiful and soft looking legs represent your health. Though dry scaly skin on legs is regarded as a cosmetic concern in some cases even eczema results in this skin disorder.
Various factors like age, lifestyle and medical conditions are held responsible for extreme dryness on lower legs. There are many ways to get rid of dry flaky skin on legs.
Rough, scaly patches and extreme dryness are signs and you really don’t an expert to confirm this. Repeated scratching will leave your skin even worse.
What Causes Dry Scaly Skin on Legs?
Beauty experts rave about moisturizers to prevent dryness. Apart from lotions, there are a bunch of home remedies that can help you out. Before that, let’s check out its causes.
- Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and other health related ailments can strip moisture from the skin and make it scaly.
- Itching and dryness can be triggered by irritants like textile and food substances.
- Repeated steamy showers make your skin dry and itching is accompanied.
- Apart from this, cold weather, chemical filled creams and certain medications may result in dry skin.
How to Get Rid of Dry Scaly Skin on Legs?
Preventing is the best option to combat scaly patches.
Step: 1 Washing/Bathing Routine
Experts recommend avoiding hot water and strong anti-bacterial soaps if you’ve dry skin. Instead, use mild soaps with lukewarm water. Also, frequent bathing is not recommended.
Step: 2 Milk it Down
Dr. Taylor, assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania advises applying refrigerated milk on itching or inflamed area. As milk has the anti-inflammatory ability it will soothe your skin.
Step: 3 Moisturize with Greasy Creams
Watery and fragrance filled lotions are useless for the dry scaly skin. Petroleum jelly is one of the inexpensive creams that hydrate your skin. Products with vitamin A, salicylic acid, and urea as an ingredient can do wonders.
Apart from these cosmetic creams, you can opt for home ingredients available at home.
Step: 4 Seal Dry Patches
Topical application will not hydrate super-dry spots. For this, you’re advised to apply greasy moisturizer and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow the cream to affect over the dry patches overnight and remove the wrap in the morning.
Related post: How to Get Rid of Dry Skin Around Nose Piercing
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Dry Flaky Skin on Legs
Often people look for home available remedies, as they are inexpensive and aren’t associated with any serious ailment.
Below given are a list of natural ingredients that are packed with nutrients that can benefit your skin.
#1 Milk Cream
You may not like to consume milk cream to avoid excess weight. But it can do wonders for your dry skin.
Its exfoliating ability can help to remove hanging patches and it locks moisture over the skin. Vitamins, minerals, and proteins housed in milk cream repair aged skin.
Anti-inflammatory property exhibited by this home available ingredient can soothe inflamed patches.
How to Use:
- Take required amount of gram flour and mix it with sufficient amount of milk cream to form a thick
- Now, apply this mask over prewashed legs.
- Allow it to dry naturally for 15 minutes.
- Rinse it off with water.
Optionally, you can moisturize your skin after trying this recipe.
#2 Honey
Known for its humectant and healing properties, the raw honey application will moisturize and soothe your skin.
Anti-inflammatory, healing and antioxidant properties of honey are helpful to prevent dry scaly skin on legs.
How to Use:
- Get beeswax and melt it in a pan.
- After melting, remove the pan from heat and mix honey and olive oil with it.
- Wash your legs with water and pat dry.
- While the skin is still damp apply this mask and rinse it off after 15 minutes.
#3 Coconut Oil – Ultimate Remedy
This recipe may seem simple, but assorted vitamins in this innate ingredient can’t be ignored.
Apart from moisturizing, coconut oil has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and healing properties.
How to Use:
- Take pure coconut oil and gently apply it over prewashed legs.
- Allow it to dry naturally.
- Best time to apply coconut oil is before going to bed.
#4 Glycerin
It’s a wonderful healing and moisturizing ingredient. Assorted nutrients in glycerin can protect your sensitive skin from harmful UV rays.
It’s non-toxic nature makes it use over lips.
How to Use:
- You can directly apply glycerin over dry skin or mix it with lemon juice to make it more effective.
- However, people with sensitive skin must limit the use of lemon.
- Apply the mixture over legs and allow it to dry naturally.
#5 Cucumber – Eat it
Internal consumption and topical application of cuke is very beneficial for your skin. Renowned for its rich content of water, topical application of this mask will treat skin ailments and soothe inflammation.
Regular application can turn your skin radiant.
How to Use:
- Peel the skin of cucumber and chop it into small pieces.
- Grind into a smooth paste and apply it directly over the dry scaly skin.
- Alternatively, you can mix honey or olive oil to it.
#6 Avocado
Vitamin A residing in avocado helps to restore damaged skin cells. Fatty acids, antioxidant and moisturizing abilities of this ingredient will improve your skin texture and relieve itching.
How to Use:
- Take fresh avocado and mash it into a smooth
- Apply the paste over prewashed skin and leave it to dry naturally.
- Rinse it off with water and apply rose water to moisturize.
#7 Olive Oil
Vitamin E packed in this oil exhibits antioxidant activity that protects your skin from environmental factors.
Fatty acids housed in it hydrate your dry skin and prevent dryness by forming a protective layer over the skin.
Skin cell renewal ability of the oil help to shed dead skin cells and promote new cells.
How to Use:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of honey and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl.
- Whisk them using a fork.
- Now apply this paste on affected skin and allow it to dry naturally.
- Rinse it off with water.
Related post: How to Use Olive to Prevent Stretch Marks
#8 Vinegar
Dead skin cells and scaly patches over the skin can be reduced by vinegar. This home ingredient can help to restore acidic levels of your skin.
How to Use:
- Wash your legs with water to remove impurities and dead cells.
- Pat dry with a soft cloth.
- Add 1 cup of vinegar in a tub of water.
- Mix well and soak your legs in the tub.
- Else, you can also add vinegar to your bath tub.
#9 Oatmeal – Perfect for dry skin
Topical application of oatmeal helps to soften dead patches and exfoliate them. It can reduce itching and inflamed patches.
How to Use:
- Take grounded oatmeal and mix it with pure jojoba oil.
- Apply the mixed mask over legs and allow it to dry naturally.
- You can gently rub while applying the mask to remove scaly patches.
- Rinse it off with water.
#10 Petroleum Jelly
As mentioned above, this is the inexpensive remedy that you can try right now.
How to Use:
- Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice with petroleum jelly and mix thoroughly.
- Apply this paste over affected skin.
- Instead, you can just apply petroleum jelly and seal it with plastic wrap.
#11 Baking Soda
Known for bleaching properties baking soda also help to exfoliate your skin.
How to Use:
- Mix ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with the required amount of rosewater.
- Gently apply this mixture over the skin and leave it to dry naturally.
#12 Yogurt
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ability of yogurt can effectively reduce dryness over the skin. Lactic acid in it helps to thwart bacteria and its moisturizing property hydrates your skin.
How to Use:
- Take half ripe papaya and mash it into a smooth
- Mix ½ cup of plain yogurt to it.
- Apply the mixed mask over affected part and rinse it off after 15-20 minutes.
Tips to Get Rid of Dry Scaly Skin on Legs Fast
- Best time to apply these home recipes is before going to bed.
- If any of the ingredients irritate your skin, stop using it and consult a physician.
- Along with topical application, internal consumption of water-rich fruits and vitamin rich food is essential.
- Use sunscreen while going out.
- Regularly moisturize your skin in cold seasons.
- Drink enough water and stay away from fragrance filled creams.
- Clothes that irritate your skin must be avoided.
- Avoid scratching and apply milk for instant relief from itching.
If your skin cracks and bleeds, then consult your doctor without delay.
