It’s that time of year when everyone starts to notice their skin drying out. That dewy summer feel to the skin has faded to be replaced with flaking, cracking and dullness for a lot of us.

Here are some of my favourite natural options to apply to dry skin:

• Cocoa butter and/or shea butter: These ingredients have been used for ages in climates where the weather is dry. They create a great protective barrier to keep the skin hydrated and soothe cracks. In the raw form, these butters are quite solid and require heat to make them easier to spread. Luckily, there are a lot of products out there that blend these butters with other natural ingredients to make them spreadable.

• Olive Oil: Sometimes I prefer to moisturize with oil rather than creams. Coconut oil is often not hydrating enough for many people. Olive oil can be more hydrating for dry skin. I like to add nice smelling essential oils to olive oil to mask that olive smell.

• Hempseed oil: Hempseed oil is very hydrating. It’s rich in healthy fats and can hydrate even the driest skin types. There are many great products out there that have hempseed oil in either cream or oil format.

Dry skin can be a simple fix or it can require deeper work if it’s related to skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Because there is such a strong connection between skin health and stress/ anxiety, I end up treating a lot of patients with problem skin. Not all topical options are a good fit for everyone or for every part of the body. Be sure to talk to your naturopathic doctor if you need help with improving the health of your skin.