Very dry and sensitive skin: need moisterizer reccomendation

[sgtiger]

In the shower this morning, my shins were itchy and a bit painful. I looked down to see that my shins are all scratched up, but I didn't remember scraping them anywhere. On closer inspection they look like shaving nicks, but they run perpendicular to the direction I shave. Also with my legs being mostly covered up this time of year, and an ocean and a continent or two separating the man and I; I haven't been shaving on a regular basis.

Anyhoo, I've been using Cetaphil cream to moisturize my legs but appently it's not enough. I do have some L'Occitane ultra rich cream, which is shea butter based, but it doesn't absorb very quickly and feels goopy for a long time after I apply. The good thing about it is that despite being very rich, it doesn't irritate my skin or make me break out. Should I be using some sort of light oil, like sesame, from the health food store? Or is there something else that y'all can recommend for someone with sensitive skin?

Thanks in advance,

Soo

[Biciclista]

my ayurvedic lady says use sesame oil!
(smells good too)

ps don't shave for a while!!!

[ny biker]

I have very sensitive skin but it's not as dry as what you're describing. I use Complex 15 for most of me. It's hard to find at drug stores but you can get it on drugstore.com.

For my hands I use Aveeno, since it seems to last through a day of washing my hands better than the Complex 15.

If my legs were really bad, I would try putting Aquafor on them. It's kind of greasy (similar to Vaseline in consistency) but if you don't use too much and rub it in well, I think it would be okay. It's made by Eucerin and easy to find at drug stores.

[shootingstar]

I hope the sesame oil works or other stuff here for you stiger.

Please ask the pharmacist what they would recommend for over the counter lotions also. (Not the pharmacy technician). A pharmacist has considerable knowledge on over the counter ointments and drugs to remain licensed.

Since I live in Vancouver now, I don't have the severe dry skin problem because our winters are not as cold. But when I lived in Ontario I did have perpetual problem of very dry, scaly leg skin. Skin condition is called icthomyosis --fish-scale. The skin surface becomes harder and shiny. It would show up on dark tights when I removed my slacks, hose, etc. My dermatologist recommended Uremol, which is an over the counter, but expensive lotion. I switched to Keri.

I currently use Keri lotion for legs, arms only. I don't need it elsewhere.
For any moisturizer, must be applied immediately after drying self out of shower.
_________________________________________

From someone with 2 sister-pharmacists and 2-cousin-pharmacists.

[KnottedYet]

Pure shea butter for the very dry stuff ($12 for a tiny jar)
Pure olive oil for medium dry stuff ($6 for a quart)
Pure grape seed oil for the fine (like face) or not-so-dry stuff ($4 for a little 4 oz bottle)

My legs get super dry, too. A blob of shea butter melted between my hands and then rubbed on my lower legs is blissful and lasts for hours. It absorbs surprisingly quickly.

[GLC1968]

You could also help the problem from the inside (assuming you don't have oily skin somewhere else on your body like your face) by taking flax oil and/or fish oil caps. Three to four caps a day (two in am, two in pm) will make a huge difference if you have dry skin.

This is how I survived my stint on Accutane when my skin became unbearably dry. I've also been encouraging my husband to take them twice a day in the winter since then because he's got very dry skin and it really helps him.

[bmccasland]

Lotions that contain lanolin. Lubriderm comes to mind. Put a bit of lavender and rosemary essential oils in it - one has antibiotic properties and the other increaseses blood circulation, both smell nice.

Vasoline Intensive Care doesn't do diddly for my dry skin.

the 365 Lotion from WF is pretty nice, and I add lavender oil to it.

Seems one of my quilt magazines recently did a comparison on lotions, let me see if I can find it... I'll be back....

[deeaimond]

I'm a huge fan of shea butter, but my supply is running out.

Gold Bond ultimate is really good. I have very sensitive skin, and I really dislike lotions coz they're slimy. I use the shea butter gold bond. it's a little more expensive than regular lotions, but its available at the drugstore and still cheaper than pure shea butter.

[hoffsquared]

I like Udderly Smooth for my legs and hands. Seems to do the trick.

[Blueberry]

Has anybody tried bulk ordering shea butter from a soap supply place? Somewhere like Snowdrift Farm (no connection, never ordered from them). Doesn't look like you have to be a re-seller to order. Just an idea

Otherwise - it's hard. Shea works best for me. But I still have dry spots on my finger tips.

[SadieKate]

Yeah, it's a veterinary cream but it's fabulous for hands and feet. I use it intensively for flyfishing trips and my hands will be in better shape than when I started the trip. Think about it - a week of wet hands in the wind and cold. There's isn't much more challenging conditions (unless you add freezing temperatures also and even then it works).

http://www.horsemansdream.com/products/vetcream.html


I swear by the stuff and have converted many a flyfishing guide who gets cracked hands.

[badger]

Has anybody tried bulk ordering shea butter from a soap supply place? Somewhere like Snowdrift Farm (no connection, never ordered from them). Doesn't look like you have to be a re-seller to order. Just an idea

Otherwise - it's hard. Shea works best for me. But I still have dry spots on my finger tips.

I bought on two separate occasions pure, unrefined, fair-trade shea butter online. One from ebay (it was actually a mix of eastern and western shea butter, very nice), and another from a direct wholesaler in England. I've been very happy with both products, and MUCH cheaper than buying retail. I got half a pound for $20 for the ebay one, and a smaller quantity, but one that's lasted me more than a year from the second supplier for about $10. Let me see if I can send you a link http://www.sliceofnature.com/.

I've been using shea butter around the sensitive skin around my eyes for over 10 years now, and I swear that's my secret to not looking my age.

I also use jojoba oil and coconut oil. I try to avoid prepared lotions, but for the really cold days where my hands feel like they're sandpaper, I use Uremol20. I find urea to moisturize like nothing else, but if you're overly sensitive, it might burn for a bit.

[deeaimond]

I've been using shea butter around the sensitive skin around my eyes for over 10 years now, and I swear that's my secret to not looking my age.

I also use jojoba oil and coconut oil. I try to avoid prepared lotions, but for the really cold days where my hands feel like they're sandpaper, I use Uremol20. I find urea to moisturize like nothing else, but if you're overly sensitive, it might burn for a bit.

wow. i never thought of that, but i don't have wrinkles ard my eyes yet so...

yup i have thought of buying shea butter in bulk online, but then i've only ever used the pure unrefined stuff that bf's mother gets in ghana. I think i will scout around online, but then i think i will also need to find a supplier who'll ship to Singapore. thats gonna be the expensive part. But bf's going back to ghana in jan, so maybe i'll ask him to get me some and post it to me... I'm more worried about the source, coz sometimes they're chemically treated, then it changes the quality of the shea butter. I will check out the source that you linked

I also use jojoba oil as a night moisturiser! its the only thing i've tried that doesnt break me out hugely.

my skin has been super dry since i got here (new york) so i use the clinique moisture surge, topped with jojoba oil. my face skin does not hurt anymore.

[KnottedYet]

Has anybody tried bulk ordering shea butter from a soap supply place? Somewhere like Snowdrift Farm (no connection, never ordered from them). Doesn't look like you have to be a re-seller to order. Just an idea

Otherwise - it's hard. Shea works best for me. But I still have dry spots on my finger tips.

I get my shea butter from Alaffia: http://www.alaffia.com/
It's a local company that gets their shea butter from the owner's home village/region. They do a lot to support folks there, including shipping a container of bikes there every year.

[zoom-zoom]

Another thing to consider is running a big humidifier in your home. We have one that can spit out 6-7 gallons of water/day when it's really cold and our heat is running a lot. It makes such a difference in my skin.