Managing exposures to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is one of the most effective ways of reducing the risk of skin cancer. Control of UV exposures includes both short-term benefits (i.e., prevention of sunburned skin) and long-term benefits (i.e., reduced skin cancer risk).
We know that water vapor in outdoor air continually enters a residence and changes the level of indoor relative humidity. Consequently, there should be a direct connection between local weather conditions, for example the concentration of water vapor in outdoor air, and people’s tendency to have dry skin caused by exposures to indoor humidity and temperature stressors.
You observe some flaky dry skin on your face, arms or legs and so then you decide to buy a moisturizing lotion or cream. But unless you already know what product you are going to purchase, it’s somewhat daunting to select a moisturizer because of the multiple brands available as well as the wide variety of different formulations and ingredients.
The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the skin and it serves as the primary barrier between the inner layers of skin and the exterior environment. It protects against external environmental agents such as harmful chemicals and microbes and our internal organs.
Many areas of the world have dry, arid conditions such as the desert Southwest of the United States. As a resident of southern Arizona, I have learned that dry skin care in a desert environment requires active attention for most of the year.
A team of dermatologists (Xu et al., 2016) systematically reviewed the top ranked sunscreens on Amazon and devised a set of 6 helpful screening categories that are based on both positive and negative consumer reviews.
The Dry Skin Index (or DSI for short) shows the magnitude of the drying stresses on skin caused by changes in indoor relative humidity and temperature.
As indoor relative humidity levels decline due to seasonal changes in outdoor water vapor levels, it is time to consider a room humidifier to increase humidity. The effectiveness of a room humidifier depends on how much water vapor it emits and the building properties of the residence.
Petrolatum is widely used in moisturizing lotions and creams because it helps prevent the diffusion of water from within skin to ambient air. It is actually a mixture of hydrocarbons in the form of a petroleum jelly that was first discovered in 1859 by a chemist in Pennsylvania.
The outer layer of skin (i.e., stratum corneum or SC) exhibits both biochemical and biophysical changes in response to variations in indoor temperature and relative humidity (RH). Researchers have found that a relative humidity of approximately 60% supports the healthy functioning of skin.
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