Dryness
Drying
noun, verbal noun
If you take something dry and push it to dry up further, you get 乾燥. It's the word for dryness, whether it's chapped lips, dry air, or parched objects. It also describes the act of drying, like when you dehydrate food or hang your clothes to dry.
This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
乾燥対策でマスクをつけています。
I'm wearing a mask to counter the dryness.