Deal With Peeling Skin

Peeling skin, caused by sun damage, infections or other disorder, can look unsightly and even lead to infection. Resist the urge to pick at it! Instead, there are many remedies that will help peeling skin, which is basically damage to the skin’s upper layer (called the epidermis).

Steps

Healing the Skin

1. Cool the skin to prevent peeling. If your skin is starting to peel, it's a good idea to immediately jump in a cold shower or bath. The cold water will soothe your skin, and it will also prevent your skin from peeling so fast by cooling it down.
   • Pat your skin in order to dry it with a clean and soft towel. If you rub the skin with the towel, you could make the peeling worse. You could also just put a washcloth in cold water, and apply it to the skin, doing so very gently.
   • You could cool the skin by putting ice in a cloth, and placing the cloth on the skin. The goal is to reduce the heat. This will make your skin feel better. At all costs, avoid scratching at peeling skin, as you will make it worse and could even cause permanent damage to your skin by scarring it.
2. Moisturize your skin with Aloe Vera. Find a moisturizer that is designed to help with sunburn or peeling skin. A good choice is a lotion that contains Aloe Vera.
   • Aloe vera is made from natural cactus extract and is supposed to soothe the skin. You can also buy pure Aloe Vera gel. Either way, applying it to the damaged area should bring you some quick relief.
   • The right lotion should slow the peeling and also reduce inflammation of the skin. Aloe Vera is also known to stop itching of the skin.
3. Drink more water to improve the look of your skin overall. Even when you don’t have peeling skin, drinking a lot of water is one of the best things you can do for your skin. Water matters even more when your skin is damaged. Your body needs the water to heal.
   • It’s a good idea to drink as many as 8 to 10 glasses of water a day if your skin is peeling. If you can drink that many glasses of water when your skin has no damage, that’s good for your skin too.
   • Good hydration is essential for healthy skin. Water is going to help your body repair peeling skin. It’s basically a fuel for your body.
4. Use prescription or over-the-counter creams on peeling skin. Sometimes peeling skin is caused by a medical condition like eczema or psoriasis. These are common reasons the skin might peel.
   • See a dermatologist for such conditions in extreme cases. But you could also try purchasing cortisone cream across the counter. Exposing skin with Psoriasis to minor sunlight can help the condition.
   • Allergic reactions can cause eczema, so try a different laundry detergent and check your diet. You could see an allergist. Take lukewarm, not hot baths. Try applying hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion.
   • Athlete's foot can cause peeling skin. To treat it, you should wash and dry your feet thoroughly twice a day. Change your socks every day, as well as your shoes. Sprinkle the feet with anti-fungal powder.

Trying Natural Remedies

1. Bathe in oatmeal. Colloidal oatmeal – which is extremely fine oatmeal – has been credited with healing and diminishing damage to the skin. You can find it in many pharmacies.
   • Put the oatmeal in a cool bath, and bathe in it. You need about one cup of oatmeal for a bath tub full of water. Fill the tub with warm water and the oatmeal, and soak in it for at least 30 minutes.
   • You can also just take a bath with lukewarm water. Sit in the bath for about 15 minutes. While in the tub, rub the peeling skin area gently with a soft washcloth. .
   • Vitamins C and E will also make it less likely that your peeling skin could lead to scarring.
2. Apply olive oil to the skin. One cause of peeling skin is simply dry skin. And there are many natural fixes for that. Olive oil has a lot of fatty acids in it, so it’s a good way to moisturize dry skin.
   • Buy some extra-virgin olive oil. Put it in the microwave until it’s slightly warm (not hot). Massage the warm olive oil into the skin. Do this three times a day until your skin improves.
   • You could also mix two tablespoons of salt with olive oil until it creates a paste. Use this to scrub your skin, removing dead skin cells. Use this remedy two times a week.
   • Other oils that are good for the skin are grape seed, coconut, and sesame oils. Simply massage the oils onto the skin. Grape seed oil helps remove dry skin and can reduce wrinkles. Coconut oil can be applied to the face at night to help with dry peeling skin. Sesame oil can be rubbed on troublesome areas.
3. Put milk on the skin. Milk is another natural way to help peeling skin. It’s basically a natural moisturizer for the skin. It will soothe the skin, and the lactic acid in milk reduces skin irritation and itching.
   • Dip a washcloth into ice-cold whole milk. Then, place the washcloth on your skin for 10 minutes. Wash the skin off with clean water. Do this two to three times a day.
   • Alternatively, mix one tablespoon of honey with two tablespoons of whole milk. Again, apply the mixture to the skin. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Wash it off with warm water. Do this twice a day for a week.
4. Try putting cucumber on the skin. Cucumbers contain a lot of water, which is good for the skin. They are also a natural astringent that cool the skin, diminishing itching and irritation. Furthermore, cucumbers contain vitamin C, which helps sunburned skin.
   • Grate a single cucumber. Apply to the damaged skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Do this twice a day for two weeks.
   • Mix a peeled cucumber with two tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel. This will create a paste. Put the paste on peeling skin for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Do this once a day.
   • Other fruits and vegetables which can be applied to the skin are apples, bananas, and the juice from lemons. All have healing properties for the skin. Mint leaves can also be applied to the skin after being crushed in a bowl.

Reducing the Damage

1. See a doctor. Maybe your peeling skin is just the result of a bad sunburn. However, there are various disorders that can also cause peeling skin, so it’s a good idea to see a doctor if you’re not sure what’s causing it.
   • Some conditions that can cause peeling skin are allergic reactions, staph and fungal infections, immune system disorders, genetic diseases, and cancer or cancer treatment.
   • Sunburn also causes peeling skin, and if it’s mild, it will probably be treatable without calling the doctor. If it’s more severe or you have any doubt about what’s causing the peeling, it’s really a good idea to check with a doctor.
2. Avoid peeling your skin more. If your skin is peeling, it can be tempting to scratch at it or peel pieces of it off. Don’t! It will make it worse.
   • You could cause an infection if you peel the skin away. It’s hard not to do, but remember it will make things worse.
   • You could carefully cut away the dead skin with a pair of small scissors, though, applying antibacterial ointment to it afterwards (like Neosporin).
3. Avoid sunburn in the first place. If your skin is peeling, it means that your skin has sustained damage. It’s a much better idea to protect your skin in the first place.
   • Wear sunscreen on a daily basis. Not only will this stop your skin from peeling and getting sunburned, but it will also lower the amount of wrinkles you get as you age.
   • Put on more sunscreen every time you leave the water. A lot of people forget to do this, and it can result in sunburn that eventually will peel.
   • Don’t forget to apply sunburn all over your body, including to places on your body that some people forget, such as behind your ears.

Tips

• If you have a peeling sunburn put lemon juice on it to take the rest off safely.
• Check with a pharmacist for over-the-counter remedies.
• If your skin is still peeling after doing this for a while or there is no improvement, try doing it for longer than a week or two.

Warnings

• Make sure before you apply any products that they contain no ingredients that you may be allergic to. If you are not sure, contact your doctor before applying.

Related Articles

• Prevent Skin Peeling After Sunburn
• Apply the Skin Culture Peel
• Fix the Skin Around Your Nails

Sources and Citations

See also

• Care for Your Face (Males)
• Heal Raw Skin
• Use a Glycolic Acid Peel
• Know if Sunscreen Has Expired
• Reduce Frown Lines
• Heal over Exfoliated Skin
• Wear a Face Shield
• Apply a TCA Peel
• Stop Hard Water from Ruining Your Skin
• Choose a Natural Sunscreen

Read more ...

What links here

• Prevent Skin Peeling After Sunburn
• Fix the Skin Around Your Nails