If you’re dealing with dry skin, it’s essential to know how to treat it. “Dry skin is actually an unhealthy state,” says Dr. Dina Strachan, a board-certified dermatologist and the director of Aglow Dermatology in New York City, “it’s not a vanity thing.”

You need moisture in your skin. The lack of this can be a trigger for certain inflammatory conditions like eczema and psoriasis. And the main cause of dry skin issues — a disrupted skin barrier — can increase the risk of bacteria entering your body. On top of all that, cracked, itchy and tight skin is uncomfortable. But if you’re looking up “how to treat dry skin?,” chances are you already know that. So, let’s get to the good stuff — here’s how to treat this condition.

How do you treat dry skin?

To treat dry skin, it’s important to first understand what’s causing this issue. The condition primarily occurs because of a disruption to the lipid skin barrier that prevents the water in your skin from evaporating.

To treat dry skin, you need to address this disruption to your skin barrier. Strachan recommends “gentle skin care.” This entails changing how often you shower, not using hot water and applying moisturizing cleansers instead of harsh soaps. These changes will prevent water and soaps from stripping natural oils from your skin.

How should you shower to treat and prevent dry skin?

Strachan provides more explicit instructions on the best ways to shower to treat dry skin. In terms of the number of showers to take, she advises against bathing multiple times a day. According to Healthline, some dermatologists recommend only bathing every other day or a few times a week. “You want your dishes to be squeaky clean not your skin,” adds Strachan, “you want your skin to have an oil film on it.”

She also advises swapping soap for moisturizing cleansers or ditching soap altogether. “Most people in modern America don’t have jobs where they get so dirty that they actually have to use soap on their whole bodies every day,” Strachan explains. “Water actually does a lot of the cleaning.” She does suggest washing the face, neck, armpits, groin and buttocks areas.

Finally, she recommends moisturizing after you bathe. Apply a moisturizer to your body within ten minutes after you shower to lock in the moisture you added to your skin, says Strachan.

Why is my skin so dry that lotion isn’t working?

If you’re doing this last step and still experiencing dry skin, you may need to change your moisturizer. If you’re using a lotion, it will add water to your skin. However, it may not do a great job of trapping this moisture. For this reason, try switching to a moisturizer that is more occlusive, or better at sealing in this moisture. One example is petroleum jelly, like Vaseline. Strachan says to apply petroleum jelly to damp skin. Once you do, the jelly will then seal the moisture in your skin.

Key takeaway: There are easy, effective ways to treat your dry skin. And the bright side is, treatment and prevention are the same. Making these changes is important to your overall health.

Do you have bothersome excess skin?There are treatment options.