Understanding our environmental intelligence.
Learn the Dry Skin Index
See when indoor air is more likely to dry your skin
The Dry Skin Index, or DSI, is a 0-10 environmental scale that describes indoor drying stress on skin. It provides a consistent way to understand local environmental conditions and put changes in drying stress into context.
Environmental context for everyday decisions
Outdoor conditions influence the indoor environment. Dermal Vectors translates environmental information into a practical drying-stress index for customer education and market planning. Higher values indicate greater modeled drying stress; individual experiences can differ.
From buildings to skin: the illustrated guide
Follow how buildings exchange water vapor, how skin responds to dry indoor air, and how seasonal patterns connect with search interest and everyday care.
Infographic 1
Buildings exchange and buffer water vapor
Main takeaway: air exchange moves water vapor in and out, while wood and other materials can buffer humidity swings inside the home.
Infographic 2
Water loss reflects outward flow and stratum corneum sorption
Main takeaway: when indoor air is dry, water moves outward from deeper hydrated skin while the outer stratum corneum hydrates or dehydrates according to surrounding water activity. Both processes are governed by water chemical potential.
1. Outward water flux
Deeper hydrated skin supplies water to dry air.
2. Stratum corneum sorption
Water vapor shifts outer-layer hydration.
Water activity / chemical potential
The DSI estimates the drying stress that shifts this balance.
Infographic 3
Dry skin web searches rise when seasonal indoor stress rises
Main takeaway: people search for dry skin most during heating season, when skin responds to environmentally driven stress as measured by the DSI.
Source: Google TrendsInfographic 4
Skin hydration depends on care and room humidity
Main takeaway: drying stress can affect people across ages, so care often means keeping hands, arms, legs, and face hydrated while also managing room humidity.
The DSI tiers
DSI values are grouped into practical tiers. The wording is intentionally about environmental stress and everyday skin comfort, not medical diagnosis or treatment.
Low Risk
Keep your gentle moisturizing wash routine steady. Use a leave-on moisturizer only where skin already feels dry.
First Alert
Keep moisturizing body wash daily. After bathing, apply a leave-on moisturizer to areas that feel tight, rough, flaky, or itchy.
Special Care
Apply a fragrance-free cream or thicker lotion after bathing to dry-prone areas. Add an evening application during Special Care windows if skin feels tight or rough. Consider using a room humidifier as an additional option.
Enhanced Care
Use lotion or cream on dry-prone areas during the highest-stress days. Consider a room humidifier to reduce external drying stresses on skin.
Who can benefit from this information
Local drying-stress information helps people who notice seasonal dryness or want a clearer signal for planning healthy skin care habits. Seniors are an important audience because skin often becomes more dryness-prone with age, but the DSI can be useful for many households.
- Adults whose skin is prone to dryness during the colder, drier months of the year
- Seniors and caregivers planning everyday skin comfort routines
- People living in dry climates