Skin Care Pros Share Their Top Tips for Healing Dry, Cracked Skin

When dry skin goes from uncomfortable to painful, it's important to give it more than just the usual TLC. It's a sign you're dealing with a compromised skin barrier and the issue can become compounding if you don't nip it quickly.

"When skin is dry, its ability to bind in moisture and prevent moisture loss is impaired and it is less able to work as an effective barrier," explains board certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical Dr. Rachel Maiman. "Many factors can contribute to loss of water and/or lipids that naturally make up a part of this protective barrier. These causes include cold weather, chemical irritants like dish soaps, hot water, medications and inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis."

The bottom line? When dry skin is left untreated, the issue only gets worse and can lead to uncomfortable itching and painful cracking. So we asked skin care experts how to transform dry, cracked skin into soft and supple skin.

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