Abstract
There is no generally accepted definition of what constitutes dry skin, but low water content of the stratum corneum (SC) and lower layers of the skin definitely play a role in the pathomechanism. Therefore, it would seem obvious that the right way to combat and reverse dry skin is by giving it what it lacks—water. Put another way, if dry skin is deficient of water, it makes sense that hydrating/wetting it is the most direct way of reversing the condition. But, is it? The present chapter will deal with the issues of internal water consumption and external application of water and their effects (or lack of) on dry skin.
Part of this article was adapted with permission from: Wolf R, Parish LC, Davidovici B, et al (2007) Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day is essential for skin hydration: myth or reality? Skinmed 6:90–91.
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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Wolf, R., Wolf, D., Rudikoff, D., Parish, L.C. (2012). Water and Minerals in the Treatment of Dryness. In: Lodén, M., Maibach, H. (eds) Treatment of Dry Skin Syndrome. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27606-4_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27606-4_30
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