Dry Skin??
 

Hi Ladies! Now that we're getting in to the colder months, I wanted to ask you all what you do to keep your skin from drying out? I usually run outside once or twice a week, and if I don't do SOMETHING, my hands and face get SO dried out. NOT a look I want in all those Christmas party photos...

I like to use Eucerin Daily Skin Balance (it helps that I do some work with them and we have it floating around the office :) ). I use it after my post-workout showers and it works like a dream.

What are some of your best winter skin care tips?

HI! I've recently discovered a miracle product for my hands. It may have been mentioned in a thread around here, not sure where. It is called Lotil cream. I have found it at Amazon.com and also at Vermont Country Store.

I work in a doctor's office and wash my hands alot. My hands get very dry and my thumbs become so dry that they callous up and also split (like a deep paper cut.....ouch). Since I have been using the Lotil, I don't have any more splits and the dryness has greatly improved.

I don't think I woud use it on my face. It is very heavy and kind of waxy until you wash your hands the first time. I only use it twice daily....once during the day and once right before I go to sleep....and it is working so far.

I am moving back to the midwest soon, and I always use lip balm and put on more moisturizer for my face before I run. I exfoliate regularly and go through lots of lotion. I like clinique products, although I'm beginning to look around for more sustainable options with good performance. The daily moisturizer and body butter are my faves. I use just regular chapstick.

Kiehls Creme du Corps is the best all over body lotion I have ever found. As I've aged my skin is extremely dry and it leaves my body feeling very luxurious without being greasy. In addition I always use Nuetrogena hand cream after every hand wash. For my face I use all Clinique products.

I absolutely love lubriderm. I have horribly dry skin all year round, and i have tried tons of brands of lotion. I call myself a lizard at times because of the peeling of dry skin on my face,lol. This is the only brand that helps me :)

Avon has a nice spray on lotion that I like because I can spray it on my itchy back.

It's interesting how different everyone's regime is! You all have great suggestions, keep them up!

I use johnson n johnson baby oil gel just put it on after I shower and it has made my skin softer even at the elbows...i wash my hands alot also and it has helped alot I mean my knuckles would be so dry I'd bleed.

exfoliating is your best friend! :)

I agree with Horo. Most commercial products actually aggravate the problems rather than helping them by causing irritations or temporarily masking them. I would look at the whole beauty regime, from shampoo (most have nasty sulphates as well as cones like Horo mentioned) to moisturisers to make-up.

You all have awesome feedback.

Does anyone have any questions of their own about skin care regimen? I'd be more than happy to answer any questions anyone might have on the topic.

i love coco butter and coconut for dry skin also.

My go to for the cracked/fissured hands is simply A & D ointment. It's very inexpensive and you can find many other uses for it other than dry hands.

I have SUCH dry itchy skin in the winter! But my biggest problem is I'm struggling to find moisturizers that won't make my skin break out. I'm acne prone, even back and chest - and with the brutal winters, I really need to find a great moisturizer that won't make everything worse/flare up. My back especially gets so tight, and dry, and itchy. I hate it!!

Right now I'm using Cetaphil but it's not doing anything beneficial. Skin is horrible, still dry, and definitely feels like a layer of oil after using it.. even on my shins.

My hands are red and blotchy and itchy and painful currently. It's no fun. The edges of my mouth are irritated, too. My eczema always flares up in the cold, dry months, but always in different places. One year it was my face, one the backs of my legs, one the inside of my elbows. It nearly completely fades during the summer, but it is not pleasant. Slathering my hands in something like Aquaphor and wearing gloves at night helps somewhat, but it would be nice to find something more effective.

I know you might think I'm nuts, but for some of those odd, itchy things that won't clear up with most over the counter products, hit your local veterinary office for REAL udder balm and a salve called Oto Soothe, or it's similar product, different companies call it different things. Oto ear, Oto salve, etc.

Real udder balm is great stuff for dry, chapped hands and feet. Oto Soothe is an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial, most commonly used for yeast type ear infections in dogs, but it is great for all kinds of itchy stuffs.

I've worked for a veterinarian for 6 years, and most of our products are human grade, just come in the vet packaging.

:wave:
I tried all the creams for my dry skin years ago. The best was lanolin...sheeps oil...but it was so expensive and eventually I could not find any to buy.

Then I found out from a friend of mine that eating raw pumpkin seeds would prevent dry skin.
I bought the seeds at the health food stores. They are green, raw, and have no shells.
I had to eat 2 tablespoons twice a week. The dry skin disappeared within a couple of weeks. My back stopped itching too. It was amazing.

I have never had dry skin since. But I eat the pumpkin seeds all winter long.
My hair was also thinning. Now my hair is very thick and my scalp is no longer dry.
The seeds give me energy, and I don't have to drink coffee to get me going anymore.
:coffee:
The best part is that I no longer have to spread expensive creams all over my legs and hands.
Pumpkin seed oil is also a remedy for a lot of things, but I have never used it.
You can search for 'pumpkin seed remedies' in the internet to see what other health benefits they have.

:comp:

Note to self, must find raw pumpkin seeds!

Ah! Dry itchy skin is the WORST! I definitely sympathize with ya! The Eucerin Calming Body Wash is fragrance, dye, and preservative free, and it's a great way to start the day. The Calming Itch-Relief treatment is good go-to for on the spot relief as well. Of course, everyone's skin is different, so it's always best to ask your dermatologist's opinion too. Check out the Itchy Skin page for more detailed explanations and suggestions!!

Hope things improve for you!

PS. I LOVE your name! One of my favorite lines to help me make it through tough days :)

I get super dry skin too - it's like I have dandruff on my legs :lol:. My hands crack at the knuckles and look like grandma hands. However, I HATE lotion that smells and doesn't soak in - I don't want to not be able to touch stuff after using it.
My favorite hand lotion is Crabtree & Evelyn's Gardeners Hand Therapy. It's not cheap, but it's the only thing that doesn't dry my skin out or burns when I put it on.
As for body lotion - it's all about greaselessness for me. And I have to force myself to lotion up after every shower. I'm usually in a hurry and barely have time to dry my hair in the morning, so I don't lotion as often as I should.

Btw, LOL at using vet products. I totally believe they work, but it's just funny :lol: .

I'm totally going to look into the pumpkin seeds! What a great suggestion Jolina!

Great topic BTW, but not appreciating your spamminess Adelish! I'm in marketing too, so I get it. But this board prides itself on not having people promoting brands or certain items on it. Props for letting us know you work for the company though, I'm appreciating your ethics on that.

I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil and it's the best yet, and inexpensive. Over the counter skin products really probably harm more than do good cause of chemicals. I believe in the more old and natural remedies. Olive oil is also great for chapped lips. And if you wanna exfoliate your face/lips, mix olive oil with sugar..

Emu oil can be useful, but since it's so expensive (in quantity) I would only use it on more severe issues (like cracking hands, so on)...

You can purchase vitamin E in bottles, inexpensively at places like Walmart, Walgreens, etc...a little goes a long way (it is used in making your own lotions/soaps so on) but is incredibly good for your skin and, from what I've observed so far, is one of the least likely to clog your pores.

Olive oil does work, but the consistency and smell (even with essential oils) may turn some people away...and I don't know much about it's pore-clogging properties when used on it's own. Personally, I prefer coconut oil. I'm the sort of person that doesn't like the feel of lotion and such lingering on my skin, and coconut oil dries quickly enough for me to not keep thinking about it *smiles*

We've been dabbling with soapmaking...I'd like to find a nice mix of oils that would help through the harsh winters. Maybe someday...

Also, keep this in mind whenever mixing essential oils/fragrance oils in with anything: always store oils properly, and test a lotion/oil mix on a small patch of skin before using. If you use too much*, you can get severe rashes that feel like mild burns...not pleasant.

*(and don't panic, too much is usually OBVIOUS, and you'd likely be too repulsed by the scent to slather it on your skin, but just in case)

At home I have Jergen's Soothing Minerals lotion for extra dry skin, I believe it's called, and it works wonders. Sadly, I forgot to bring it with me, and my legs are letting me know they disapprove. I'm using up the lotion I have down here (at my fiance's) before I go out and buy more. I have Sauve Cocoa Butter & Shea here, but I have to reapply that at least twice a day, where as the Jergen's lasts the entire day (unless I'm out in the harsh wind).

I use Cetaphil moisturizing cream mixed with two drops of Jojoba oil for my face, and Aveeno for my body.

I still haven’t found anything that really keeps my hands moisturized for more than an hour in the winter.

Jojoba oil is awesome.

A.

I love Arbonne lip balm for chapped lips and Arbonne cuticle oil for the bad spots on my hands. They moisturize better than anything else I have found. I just wish there was a way to find the products without the high shipping costs.

I've had success with Shea Butter and St Ives Renewing Collegen Elastin lotion but my absolute favorite is CO Bigelow's Lemon Body Cream.

I tried the olive oil on my legs last night, and it helped. I can see a difference this morning. Thanks, Horo and JellyBean32882.

I ordered some coconut oil today from amazon (made my man happy too, cause he got to pick out some movies to qualify for the super saver shipping), I hope my legs can hold out with the sauve til it gets here. I resorted to putting some nut oil based hair serum (store brand from Canada) as a base for itching relief on my legs, and it seems to have helped so far. I like the initial relief from the sauve cocoa/shea but I have to reapply it several times a day, which is fine for hands, but really stinks for the legs.
I am hoping the coconut oil helps. I use a coconut based conditioner for my hair and it works wonders.

Really? I've never even thought of that. I guess I'd be concerned about what it would do to my sheets and pajamas. What was the effect?

Hydrate! Make sure your shower isn't too hot, that actually sucks moisture out of your skin. I love aquafor and cocoa butter.

I don't run, but the thing that helps me the most is getting plenty of water! If I do that, my skin is happy! If I don't, I've got cracks on my feet, dry elbows, dry eyes, etc...

I try to drink a gallon or more of water daily. A gallon is pretty well the minimum, less than that, I start to have dry skin issues.

In terms of the grease factor for the olive oil, I put it on lightly and my skin just absorbed it. I also waited a little while before heading off to bed. I didn't discover any grease stains.

My DH noticed what I was doing and tried some on his elbows and knees. LOL.

I use a sauna 4 times per week, oddly enough it helps.

I got my coconut oil in the mail today. So far so good, time will tell though. I love the way it absorbs. I may have to get another scent to mix with it though, it's a good smell, but a little overpowering.