Natural treatment for dry patches

Among the many skin conditions that women of color experience, dry patches are probably the most common.  The rest of the body may be dry but there are certain concentrated areas that tend to be even more dry.  This could be the result of a number of conditions.  Eczema is one but the other is Seborrhea dermatitis.

Seborrhea dermatitis is common in people of color and is identified by the crusty, scaly patches on the skin that also have an oily coating.  The cause of Seborrhea dermatitis is unknown but it is believed that yeast may be the culprit.  Again, we are back to diet. *sigh.

To adequately diagnose the root of dry patches, you must see a doctor.  However, in the instance of small or minor dry patches, there are things that you should be aware of because you can treat them yourself.

Dry patches are itchy and uncomfortable. What's worst is depending on what you are using to "moisturize" could be compounding the problem.If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know that I'm a big proponent of reading ingredient labels.  As a matter of fact, I did a guest post over at Schmoozins on How to Know if Your Moisturizer is Really Moisturizing Your Skin and I share what to look for on the ingredient labels of your moisturizer.

So what Natural Treatments for Dry patches are available?

For starters, if the itching is really severe, see your dermatologist
Otherwise, here is a simple and effective way to for relieving dry patches:

1. Lightly exfoliate with a product that contains orange or lemon essential oil. Be gentle.
2. Moisturize (day and night), right out of the shower preferable, concentrate on those dry areas with a body balm or product like Shea Butter
3. Add 400mg of vitamin E to your diet daily
4. Lastly, apply encapsulated wheat germ oil to the affected dry patches nightly

Share your story. I'd love to know how the natural treatments that I've been sharing are working for you.