If you have white or grey looking skin on your elbows and knees then you have ashy skin
With all of the advancements in skin care products today there is simply no reason to have ashy skin. If you choose the right product and use it regularly you can have moist healthy looking skin every day.
What is Ashy Skin?
Ashy skin is simply dry skin cells that have a white or grey appearance on the skin. Although all races can have ashy skin it is more prominent in people with darker skin. This is really only because the contrast of the white chalky looking skin is more easily seen on dark colored skin. The most common place you will find ashy skin is on the elbows and knees but it can appear anywhere on the body.
What Causes Ashy Skin?
Ashy skin is just a build up of dry dead skin cells. In areas such as the elbows and knees the dead skin cells are not exfoliated as quickly. As they build up and become more dry a chalky white appearance occurs on the skin. Typically ashy skin is worse in the winter simply because the air is dryer during this time which drys the skin further. But dry skin can also occur during the summer months. Skin that is exposed to sunlight will eventually experience dryness. Whether from tanning or burning in the sun or simply because the sunlight drys the oil on your skin.
How To Get Rid of Ashy Skin
The best way to treat dry ashy skin is with a quality moisturizer. Many people will say to use Vaseline on the dry skin areas but Vaseline will not heal dry skin. It will only cover it up and lock in the moisture providing a temporary improvement to the look of your skin. To treat ashy skin you need a product that will both exfoliate the dead skin cells as well as moisturize and nourish the skin. You should look for a cream not a lotion. Lotions are too thin and often do not provide the long term moisture that your dry skin requires. If you are putting on a lotion and your skin feels dry again 30 minutes later you are wasting your time. The best healing creams for dry skin will still feel moist for hours after they have been applied. Look for the ingredient salicylic acid. This is a beta-hydroxy acid that is known for its ability to penetrate into the skin and loosen dead skin cells so they can naturally be exfoliated. Some websites will recommend that you rub these areas with a loofah or pumice stone to help accelerate the exfoliation process. In the short term this may help but excessive rubbing can damage the skin and cause redness so you need to be careful if you decide you want to exfoliate yourself.
Look For Quality Moisturizing Ingredients
In addition to salicylic acid a dry skin treatment cream should include ingredients that have been proven to both moisturize and nourish the skin. These ingredients should provide all the vitamins, minerals and proteins that your skin needs to look and feel healthy. Often this nourishment may come from food based ingredients such as eggs. You should also look for a cream that uses pure essential oils or herbal extracts. These natural plant based ingredients have been shown to be quite effective in the treatment of dry ashy skin.
