system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 how does skin hold moisture , and what causes dry skin?
gpt
Water and oil don't like to mix together. You've probably noticed this when cooking, as oil will float on top of the water. Well our bodies, being clever and all, secrete oil onto our skin. This layer of oil traps moisture from escaping, as water doesn't like oil and won't want to cross this barrier. Dry skin is what happens when this oil barrier is removed and moisture is allowed to leave.