4 Causes of Skin Peeling and What to Do When It Happens

Seeing flakes and dry skin on your face can be a cause of concern. If you’ve been following a skincare regimen and taking care of your skin with diet and exercise, skin peeling is the last thing you want to see when you look in the mirror. Now, before you start hoarding different moisturizers or stashing away your products, you must be able to answer this question: why is my skin peeling? Get to the root cause before you start self-medicating or treating your scaly skin. 

Skin peeling happens when the skin’s barrier, made up of dead skin cells and natural oils that help it hold on to water, gets disrupted. When the lipid layer is depleted, the damaged skin cells start flaking off. Different things can strip the skin of its natural moisture, which can also cause inflammation that leads to dry and flaky skin. You can find some of these factors around your home or outside.

Do you notice skin peeling on your fingers whenever the temperature drops or if you go to Tagaytay or Baguio during the cooler months of the year? When the air gets chillier and humidity levels are low, your skin conserves heat by constricting blood vessels. In effect, it dries out the barrier, causing skin peeling. Transferring from the breezy outdoors to a warm, enclosed space can dry up your skin too!

Who doesn’t love sitting at a beach with a view of the ocean on a beautifully warm day? However, too much exposure to the sun's hot rays can cause sunburn, making your skin red, patchy, and tender. Once that initial phase of sunburn finishes, your skin tries to repair the damaged topmost layer. The sunburned parts of your skin begin to peel off.

Don't forget that it's not enough to apply sunscreen. You need to re-apply throughout the day.

It might help to use a product like the POND'S Aloe Vera Jelly Moisturizer, which contains 100% natural-origin aloe vera extract that helps soothe the sunburn. It's an oil-free gel moisturizer that hydrates the skin and moisturizes it even more with its added Vitamin B3. Slather it on as soon as you wash your face to keep the peeling at bay.

Food isn’t the only reason behind allergic reactions. For instance, contact dermatitis happens when your skin reacts negatively to a material or substance. Common triggers include perfumes, metals like nickel, or fabrics like wool or velvet. Cigarette smoke can also cause allergies and eventually skin peeling. These environmental allergens can also exacerbate topical allergies or chronic conditions like eczema or psoriasis.

Like everyone else, you’ve fallen into those social media ads. You instantly add to cart products that promise many things only to find out that these could irritate your skin. Certain chemicals or ingredients can cause skin peeling on your face just because of how powerful they act on skin issues.

Watch for some scents and artificial dyes. Sensitive skin might not take too well to strong serums and exfoliants. Rubbing alcohol and overly potent hand soap can also damage the skin’s protective barrier, especially in this age of compulsive sanitation. Frequent handwashing can eventually strip off your skin’s lipid barrier, so don't forget to use a moisturizing product. 

Besides letting your body do its thing, you can help repair your skin’s damaged barrier and restore it to its full glory. One of the first things you can do is to use moisturizer. It pulls in water to rehydrate the skin, so it’s best to use it directly after showering or washing. And, of course, you can apply it whenever you feel your skin getting dry.

Skip on the scalding-hot showers and use lukewarm water instead. When washing your face, make sure to remove deep-seated dirt and excess oil, to minimize the risk of inflammation – another cause of skin peeling on the face. To help you with that, go for the Eskinol Deep Cleanser Calamansi, which has an anti-bacterial formula. When it’s getting a bit chilly outside, remember to bring lip balm or hand creams – the latter can help with skin peeling on fingers). You can also add moisture to the environment by using humidifiers

When you see skin peeling, you must first address why it’s happening. You can also consult a dermatologist to learn what moisturizing products you can use to alleviate the situation.