How Aging Causes Dry Skin

Updated October 19, 2026. If your skin feels tighter, flakier, and itchier than it used to, aging is a very likely reason. The changes are normal, well understood, and very manageable once you know what your skin is no longer making on its own.

Short answer: skin gets drier with age because it makes less oil, holds less water, and repairs its protective barrier more slowly. Oil glands become less active (sharply so for many women after menopause), the outer layer has fewer of the natural lipids and moisturizing factors that trap water, and cell renewal slows. Dermatology groups such as the American Academy of Dermatology note that very dry skin (xerosis) is one of the most common skin problems in older adults.

Why skin gets drier with age

The outer skin layer works like a brick wall: skin cells are the bricks, fats such as ceramides and cholesterol are the mortar, and natural oil (sebum) sits on top. Aging weakens every part of that system.

Less oil (sebum)

Sebaceous glands gradually produce less sebum from middle age onward. The drop is often most noticeable in women after menopause, when falling estrogen reduces oil output, and it continues more gradually in men. Less surface oil means water evaporates from the skin more easily, and areas that were never very oily to begin with, like the shins and lower legs, are hit first.

Fewer barrier lipids and natural moisturizing factors

Older skin makes fewer of the lipids that seal the barrier, including ceramides, and has lower levels of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) — a mix of amino acids, urea, lactic acid, and salts that pull water into the outer skin. The deeper layers also contain less hyaluronic acid, which helps hold water.

Thinner skin and slower repair

Skin becomes thinner with age, particularly the outer epidermis and the supportive collagen beneath it. When the barrier is damaged by hot water, soap, or cold air, older skin also takes longer to recover, so small insults add up into persistent dryness.

Slower cell turnover

Cell renewal slows with age. Dead cells linger on the surface, giving a dull, rough, or flaky texture and making skin feel drier than it is. Urea or lactic acid moisturizers help loosen that build-up while adding hydration.

Hormonal changes and dry skin

Menopause

Estrogen supports skin thickness, collagen, oil production, and water-holding capacity. When estrogen falls during perimenopause and menopause, many women notice a fairly sudden increase in dryness, itch, and fine lines. It often means the moisturizer that worked at 40 is no longer rich enough. Hormone therapy is prescribed for menopausal symptoms generally, not as a skin treatment, so that is a decision for your doctor.

Changes in men

Men experience a more gradual decline in testosterone and other hormones. Their skin tends to stay oilier for longer, but dryness still becomes common with age.

Other age-related factors that add up

• Medications: older adults are more likely to take medicines with drying side effects, such as diuretics (water pills) and some cholesterol drugs. Do not stop any medication on your own; ask your doctor or pharmacist if dryness started after a new prescription.
• Health conditions: diabetes, thyroid disease, and kidney disease become more common with age and can all cause dry skin. See medical conditions that cause dry skin and our guide to dry skin and diabetes.
• Cumulative sun damage: decades of UV exposure weaken the barrier and make skin rougher and drier.
• Heated, dry indoor air: people who spend more time indoors in winter feel the effect of low humidity more. See how weather and climate cause dry skin.

What age-related dryness looks like

The most common pattern is rough, flaky, sometimes itchy skin on the shins, forearms, backs of the hands, and feet, often worse in winter. On the lower legs it can progress to a cracked, "crazy-paving" pattern called asteatotic eczema. On the face it shows as tightness and flaking, and the thin skin around the eyes is especially prone. Dry skin is the most common cause of persistent itch in older adults.

Managing age-related dry skin

You cannot stop skin from aging, but you can compensate for what it no longer makes. The American Academy of Dermatology and the NHS give broadly the same advice:

1. Shorten and cool your showers. Five to ten minutes in lukewarm water. Hot water strips the lipids older skin can least afford to lose.
2. Use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser only where needed (underarms, groin, feet).
3. Moisturize damp skin within about three minutes of bathing to trap water in.
4. Step up to a richer cream or ointment. Thick creams with ceramides, glycerin, or urea, or plain petroleum jelly, beat thin lotions on mature skin.
5. Run a humidifier in the bedroom during heating season. See how to use a humidifier for dry skin.
6. Wear daily sunscreen on exposed skin to slow further barrier damage.
7. Ask about prescription options if needed. A dermatologist may suggest topical retinoids for photoaging (introduced slowly, as they can be drying at first) or a short course of an anti-inflammatory cream if dry skin has become eczema.

For a fuller routine and product checklist, see our guide to dry skin after 50.

When to see a doctor

Dry skin from aging improves with consistent moisturizing, usually within two to three weeks. Check with a doctor if itching keeps you awake, if you see red, inflamed, or weeping patches, if skin cracks and bleeds or looks infected, or if itch is widespread without much visible dryness. Sudden or severe dryness can also point to thyroid problems, diabetes, kidney disease, or a medication side effect.

Common questions

Why does skin get drier as you age?

Aging skin produces less oil, contains fewer barrier lipids such as ceramides and fewer natural moisturizing factors, and renews itself more slowly. It is also thinner and repairs damage more slowly, so it loses water more easily, especially in cold, dry weather.

At what age does skin start getting drier?

Oil production declines gradually from middle age. Many women notice a clear jump in dryness around menopause, typically in their late 40s and 50s, while men tend to notice it later and more gradually. Dryness becomes very common after 60.

Does menopause cause dry skin?

Yes. Falling estrogen during perimenopause and menopause reduces oil production, collagen, and the skin's ability to hold water, so many women notice drier, itchier skin. Richer moisturizers, gentle cleansing, and a humidifier help; discuss hormone therapy with your doctor for menopausal symptoms in general.

What is the best moisturizer for aging dry skin?

A thick, fragrance-free cream or ointment usually works best. Look for ceramides, glycerin, or hyaluronic acid to attract and hold water, plus urea or lactic acid for rough areas, and apply it to damp skin after bathing and again before bed.

Is dry, itchy skin in older adults ever a sign of something serious?

Usually it is simple dry skin, but persistent itch can also be linked to thyroid disease, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, or medication side effects. See a doctor if itch disturbs sleep, does not improve with two to three weeks of moisturizing, or occurs without visible dryness.