woman applying Nivea body lotion on her legs

Help for Dry Skin on Legs: Causes & Care

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Dry Skin on Legs? Here’s What to Do

Whether you’re meeting friends for drinks or planning a pampering night in, soft and smooth legs always look and feel great. But why do they dry out in the first place? And what can be done to help prevent dry, flaky skin on legs? Read on to discover a few of NIVEA’s top tips for dry legs and how to help prevent dry skin from happening in the first place. 

Why are my legs so dry and flaky?

People of all ages can experience dry skin on their legs, and it’s typically nothing to be worried about. Dry skin can be caused by a number of factors, depending on your lifestyle, your overall health, and of course, your moisturizing routine. Dry, itchy skin on legs can become flaky if not kept on top of, but thankfully a little bit of self-care can go a long way to keep your legs looking and feeling great. 
woman applying lotion to her leg

What causes dry skin on legs?

Dry skin happens when you lose moisture from the outer layer of your skin. There are several factors that can contribute to developing dry skin on your legs, both internal and external. Some of the main causes of dry and itchy legs include:     

  • Weather and environment: Cold, dry weather, and climates with low humidity can encourage moisture loss in the skin. You may also notice an increase in dry, itchy skin in indoor environments from dry indoor heat in the cooler months and dry air conditioning in warmer weather. If you’re wearing shorts, your legs can be exposed to wind and dry air that can contribute to dry skin. 
  • Long or frequent hot baths or showers: Exposure to hot water strips the skin of its natural oils. Spending extended time in hot water, particularly without proper moisturization afterward, can lead to dry skin. 
  • Harsh soaps: Certain soaps, detergents, and other cleansers can strip the natural oils from the skin and compromise the skin’s natural moisture barrier, particularly if accompanied by rough scrubbing. 
  • Age: As we get older, our skin’s ability to retain moisture reduces, which can inevitably cause dry skin. 

Why does dry skin on the legs look like snakeskin?

When skin loses moisture, it can feel tight and start to flake, and this is generally a symptom of typical dry to very dry skin and not a cause for concern. However, when dry skin starts to look scaly like snakeskin, there could be other factors at play that require medical attention.  

Why is dry skin on knees and legs so common?

The skin covering these areas goes through a lot of stretching and contracting every day, which means it has to be a bit thicker to deal with all the extra movement. Since the skin on your legs and knees is thicker, it doesn’t produce as much of the body’s natural oil, sebum, responsible for providing moisture to skin. 

To keep your knees and legs soft and smooth, apply a nourishing body lotion like NIVEA Intense Healing Body Lotion. This lotion is helpful for dry legs as it can be applied daily, is enriched with Provitamin B5, and provides intense hydration for up to 72 hours. 
NIVEA Intense Healing Body Lotion
woman applying lotion below her knee

How to help soothe dry skin on legs

If you’re experiencing dry skin on your legs, there are some simple ways to help soothe your skin and restore its moisture, while helping to prevent it from drying out in the future. Here are some tips for how to help dry skin on your legs: 

  • Limit bathing time to 5-10 minutes: Although it’s important to wash all areas of the body regularly, overdoing it can dry the skin out. Try to keep showers and baths brief to avoid stripping the skin of its natural oils. When you’re done, be sure to gently pat skin dry with a soft towel as opposed to rubbing the skin. 
  • Avoid hot showers and baths: Keep the temperature of your shower or bath lukewarm instead of hot. The hotter the water, the more it encourages moisture loss in the skin and can potentially damage the skin’s protective moisture barrier. 
  • Use gentle soap-free cleansers: If you find your skin is feeling dry, tight, or itchy from soaps, seek out gentle, soap-free cleansers that are formulated for dry skin, like NIVEA Nourishing Care Body Wash with Nourishing Serum. 
  • Moisturize frequently, particularly after bathing: Applying a moisturizing lotion to your legs daily, particularly after bathing when skin is still damp and receptive to moisture, can help to hydrate the skin and prevent further dryness. 
  • Stay hydrated: Our skin can be affected by our internal hydration levels, so hydrating from the inside out can help support hydrated skin. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated throughout the day. 

NIVEA moisturizers to help dry legs

NIVEA moisturizing body lotions have been carefully created to provide long-lasting moisture for noticeably smoother, healthier-looking skin. Dermatologically-tested, the following NIVEA body lotions are specially formulated to soothe dry to very dry skin and can be applied any time to dry skin on the legs for visibly softer skin. 
A woman moisturizing her legs to repair from dry skin

NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion

NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion provides 48 hours of deep nourishing moisture, reducing the roughness of dry to very dry skin after just one application. Enriched with NIVEA’s Deep Nourishing Serum and Almond Oil, this rich, dermatologically-tested body lotion can be used daily for noticeably softer, glowing skin. 

NIVEA Essentially Enriched Lotion

NIVEA Intense Healing Body Lotion

For very dry, tight, and rough skin, NIVEA Intense Healing Body Lotion provides 72-hour nourishing moisture in a fast-absorbing formula enriched with NIVEA’s Nourishing Serum and Provitamin B5. This dermatologically-tested body lotion intensively moisturizes and soothes dry, rough skin after just one application for noticeably smoother skin.  

NIVEA Intense Healing Body Lotion

Products for Dry Skin On The Legs