I am only 29 and have terribly dry flaky skin (I was born with it). I exfoliate my face and body at least once a week and the skin keeps flaking. What do you recommend?
It’s difficult for me to tell from your question how extreme your problem is. If it’s just a matter of severely dry skin that then becomes flaky, then it is reasonable to think that it could be corrected with diet and essential fatty acid supplements.
I would recommend lowering or even eliminating saturated fats — such as cheese, butter, beef and chocolate — and bad fats such as fried foods, margarine, candy, and pastry. Increase the good fats in your diet by using olive oil and canola oil for cooking, flax oil and olive oil for salads, and increasing your intake of whole grains, nuts and seeds. Supplementation of essential fatty acids could include fish oil and flax oil supplements. Take at least four capsules of each per day.
Using an antioxidant supplement with vitamin E and C and A would also be smart. However, it is also possible that you have a particular skin disorder such as a specific kind of eczema or something even more rare. If you haven’t already, I advise you to go to a dermatologist for an opinion. Other considerations include hypothyroid or a female hormone imbalance.