Ack!! Attack of the dry skin. What's your remedy?

[eliza61]

My skin is starting to feel like sandpaper and it's itchy. It's only the first week in December, but it has be unseasonally cold here in NJ. Does any one else suffer from dry skin? What do you find help?

A coworker told me to drink more water, said I need to hydrate. anyone heard of this? ugg, I hate water, it's so tasteless.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Humidifiers around the house and lot of lotion.

 

[Christine]

We just had a dermatologist on our local news.

No, water does not work. It only helps if you are dehydrated.

You need to keep the skin moist. Shower/bathe in warm water and cake yourself with cream afterward. The derm said creams work better than thinner lotions because lotions usually have alcohol in them which then evaporates and dries the skin.

 

[IUTBAM]

I have a son with very dry skin and eczema, and we live in a very dry state, so I'm well versed in combating dry skin. I have three recommendations (and depending on how dry your skin is, use one, two or all three!).

Vaseline...sounds simple, but is very effective. My son was getting horrible cracks on his feet...I thought it was fungal. His ped said nope, it was just lack of moisture. I started putting vaseline on his feet morning and night with socks over it, and it was like magic. His feet are in perfect shape now, for the first time in YEARS.

Eucerin cream (or the Walmart generic version) in a tub...this stuff is GREAT.

Coconut Oil...it comes in a tub, and is hard...it says you can put the tub in warm water to soften, but I just scrap it with fingernails and put it on my son, because a little goes a LONG way. I buy it at Sprouts. It costs about the same as the Walmart generic Eucerin ($7-8 tub), but it lasts a LONG time.

Good luck!

 

[Jennasis]

Funny, I was just complaining to my dermatologist about this about an hour ago. SHe said just slather on the moisturizer, and to wear gloves/protect skin from exposure.

 

[MzDiz]

This time of year I always use a homemade salt scrub in the shower. In a glass jar, I combine epsom salt and olive oil to make a paste, then add in a drop or two of essential oil to scent the mixture, then stir. After you've washed, while still in the shower, scoop some of the mixture out and rub it over your skin, using the salt to exfoliate. After you rinse, the oil stays behind leaving your skin soft and smelling great.

 

[acmmommymouse]

I buy baby shampoo, lotion, wash, diapers, wipes, etc for my granddaughter's Christmas stocking from Santa to help stock them up on some of the necessities. While talking to my DIL she mentioned that if I was doing that this year I should get the Johnson's Baby Wash Moisture Care, rather than the regular Johnson's Baby Wash, as my GD was having some dry skin issues this winter.
I have been having some of the same issues the past couple of winters. Last year I tried Eucerin body wash and had success with it, but didn't like the smell of it. I bought some of the Moisture Baby Wash and tried it in the shower the other day, and my skin feels so much better. That and lotion after getting out of the shower has helped so much.
Granted, I do not have Eczema or a really severe dry skin problem, but dry and itchy enough for it to drive me crazy scratching all of the time and flaky skin.

 

[hopemax]

I have psoriasis, and the only lotion I have found that keeps my skin hydrated is the Jergen's Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer. Everything else I have tried, has left my skin feeling more dried out than before.

 

[budmonster]

I recently started using just plain sugar as an exfoliate in the shower, it's way less abrasive then sea salt and just melts away when your done and wash it off. After the sugar scrub I then proceed to rub virgin olive oil on my skin, just not on my face.

I basiclly went to the store bought a nice bottle of extra virgin olive oil, put it in a new plastic condement bottle and added some lavender essence to make it smell good. It works wonders makes your skin so, so soft and smells really good. Just make sure you are very careful using it because it makes the shower very slippery.

If your skin is really dry try putting the olive oil mixture in a nice hot bath and soaking in it for as long as you can. When you get out of the water try to just lightly pat dry yourself so that you don't wipe away the olive oil. If you do this at night and then head off to bed you will be pleasently surprised at how soft and moisturized your skin is.

 

[design_mom]

We had a whole-house humidifier installed a couple of years ago (my in-laws' Christmas gift to us) and it has made a world of difference.

 

[DisMN]

Humidify humidify humidify. We have steam heat which makes every walk across the carpet downright dangerous......static and dry air. That dry air makes our skin dry out like a prune. I'm the queen of dry skin and it's just so uncomfortable.

We always put out pans of water in the winter and it helps some but several winters ago I started putting out many many pans of water all over the house. We don't have the dry skin OR the static at all now! I was amazed it worked as well as it has!!

Good luck!

 

[Aimeedyan]

A good rule of thumb regarding moisturizers is that if you can pump it through a little nozzle, it's not thick enough. You need to be able to scoop it out of a tub or jar to make it thick enough to actually lock in moisture.

I use Cetaphil cream, per the dermatologist. I use a cream body wash in the shower, pat dry excess water, and use that cream while still in the shower to try and lock in as much moisture as possible. I also exfoliate on a regular basis.

We may invest in a humidifer soon!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

After I shower, while my skin is still damp, I apply baby oil all over then pat dry with a towel. This seems to help the dry skin itches. Like someone beofre said, be careful because it can make the shower slippery.

 

[daannzzz]

I also started cracking up this week. Gold Bond is working well. I also was told by the Doctor to use Eucerin.

 

[Pembo]

I'm thinking I should move to a warm state to combat dry skin.

I take a bath in baby oil or put baby oil in the shower, works great. For my hands I use Neutrogena.

 

[maslex]

This is the miracle of all miracles!!! I SWEAR by it. My hands got so bad that they cracked, bled, I lost my fingerprints (literally) on 3 fingers and also got nerve damage (have no feeling on the pads of my fingertips---pointer, middle and ring finger of my right hand) Doctor told me it's one of the worse "dry skin" conditions he ever saw. I've tried just about every cream, lotion, ointment known to man (every one that has already been mentioned here PLUS many different prescriptions from the dermotologist.

I asked my SIL what she used on her husband (he has chronic exzema) and she told me Avon's Intensive Moisture HAND CREAM (not the body lotion)
http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?pf_id=38612

I started using this (a few times a day actually) and within a couple weeks, I could basically be a hand model. LOL No seriously, no cracks, no dryness, no bleeding, I got my fingerprints back (sadly I still have the nerve damage though but I can live with that more than the severe dryness!!!) My hands are back to normal. I really didn't need to use it during the spring/summer months, only occasionally....but now that the colder weather is here, I'm back to using it everyday. Wouldn't leave home without it. I have one in my car, bathroom, bedroom, purse, work van.....everywhere!!!

IT'LL BE THE BEST $5 YOU'LL EVER SPEND!!!

 

[RockAndRollBallerina]

For me its a combination of Aveeno lotion and a humidifier running.

 

[kirstenb1]

I use Tree Hut's coconut lime sugar scrub every other day in the shower. I alternate with Olay Body Moisturizing Wash.

 

[bboyneko]

For SEVERE dry skin during the winter the only thing that works for me is Eucerin

You can obtain it in any target and many grocery stores carry it. Take a hot shower, dry yourself off, and then immediately apply eucerin intensive lotion ALL over your body. This will help lock the moisture in.

For your face, exfoliate with something like St. Ives apricot scrub while showering.

Then coat your face in a good quality Aloe. You don't want to use Eucerin on your face, it is too strong and could lead to acne. I use JASON Aloe Vera that you can find at Whole Foods.

Vitamin E can help sometimes, think about taking Fish Oil supplements. Keep hand lotion with you at all times to treat your hands.

Your feet may be especially dry. For that I use the big guns: Burt's Bees Hand Salve. This stuff is for the most severe of dry skins areas.

Hope any of this helps. All this advice is for SEVERE dry skin, for most people this type of moisturizing is too strong. Eucerin is too strong for most people's skin.

For severe dry skin avoid water-based lotions. (thats almost all of them)

As was mentioned previously, a humidifier at home will help your skin as well.

 

[Mama Mouse]

You've gotten some great advice so the only tip I'll add is use conditioner when you shave your legs instead of shave gel or soap. It leaves your legs so smooth and soft!

I'm also a firm believer in Eucerin and the Jergens intense stuff. I have to wash my hands so many times each day. As many as 10 times an hour sometimes, due to my job. I use one of those lotions (the knock off intense therapy works well too) after each handwash. Then I apply a thick layer of the thick eucerin in the pot before bed. (Onto my hands, legs and wrists. These are my problem areas.)