Very dry and sensitive skin: need moisterizer reccomendation

[snapdragen]

Jojoba oil is supposed to be very good; I've never tried it. I have very dry skin too, I use Johnson's 24 Hour Moisture on my arms and legs, Aveeno for sensitive skin on my face. The Badger Balm people make some body butters that work well, although they can feel a bit greasy. I use Badger's Cuticle Balm on my nails and cuticles.

For hands I have a couple of different ones -- Philosophy Handmade ($$$ and it no longer comes in the big jar ) and Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula.

I have mild psoriasis on my elbows, when it acts up I slather on Gold Bond Ultimate Healing.

[sgtiger]

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!

There's so many great suggestions. I'll have to try them and see what combination works best for me. Although, I'm having a forehead smacking moment about the pure shea butter because I used to use it on my hands when I used to do some not very nice things to them.

While I'm used to having some dry, scaly patches this time of year; it's never been anywhere near this bad before. I have been making changes in my diet in the last month and I suspect that may be part of the problem, so the suggestions about dealing with it from the inside out are appreciated too.

[shootingstar]

I have been making changes in my diet in the last month and I suspect that may be part of the problem, so the suggestions about dealing with it from the inside out are appreciated too.

Should be interesting to see responses on diet to this query. Not that I plan to do anything on diet side since we live in better climate (for my skin) now.

[kelownagirl]

I use Aveeno everything. Got rid of all my dry skin as well as excema. (sp?)

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

[Tuckervill]

I get psoriasis-like patches on my legs in the winter. I hate applying lotion because I then have to wait for it to soak in (depending on the type), so I just don't use it. I'm not a creams and potions kind of girl anyway.

What I do use is Aveeno Shower & Bath Oil. I keep the bottle in the shower and slather on a quarter-sized amount before I step out of the shower. That covers my whole body, though I concentrate it in the parts that really need it. The water then sheets off of me and by the time I get into the bedroom, I'm ready to dress.

My hands can get terribly cracked and painful in winter (I've got two cuts on the back of my right hand from my left thumbnail right now!). For that I use Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. Soaks right in.

Karen

[badger]

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

neither do I! best time to start using is BEFORE you get wrinkles. That's the whole idea of prevention. I started when I was 25, and 13 years later I'm proud to say I don't look my age.

[NbyNW]

+1 on Aveeno lotion and the shower & bath oil

Lubriderm and Eucerin are also good, but I have found the Eucerin to be a bit oilier.

I've been trying out Bag Balm for my chapped hands -- it has the consistency of vaseline when you're rubbing it on, but it absorbs into the skin really nicely and leaves a very thin waxy (not greasy) coat on the skin -- I guess that's the lanolin working.

[snowroo]

It's really important to cream within a minute of coming out of the shower. You might even consider a dollop of olive oil in a bath soak. Makes for a messy tub but it works well.

+1 on the humidifier

if your skin has split, you may be suseptible to bacteria getting in there which makes your skin hard to heal. Make sure you wash your hands BEFORE dipping them into a tub of cream. Alternatively, use a clean popsicle stick to get it out.

Don't use overly hot water when you bathe.

M

[VeloVT]

Plain old Nivea cream (the kind that comes in a tub, not a bottle) is great for very dry body skin. The key is to put it on every day right after you shower.

I've used small amounts of aquaphor on, of all place, my eyelids, before -- when I've restarted Retin-A after some time off and my skin goes crazy flaky for a few weeks.

[Jolt]

As a couple of people have already mentioned, olive oil is good. It soaks in fairly quickly, and the other good things about it are that it's natural and not expensive. Put it on after your shower. Jojoba oil is good for the face (just don't put too much on)--it is said to be very similar to the natural oils in our skin. The Badger Balms, Burt's Bees etc. are also very good but they do feel pretty greasy. However, they can be put on hands/feet before bed and gloves/socks put on; then in the morning the hands and/or feet will feel really good.

[mtbdarby]

Good timing on this. My hands are starting to crack. I've been using shea butter but without good results. Just got the humidifier going though! Has anyone heard of Egyptian Magic? I was looking online last night and found this all natural product (olive oil). Sounds good but a little pricey.....

[pll]

+1 on humidifiers in the home. I have two running all day long during the winter. And get a humidity gauge, so you get a sense of how low/high the humidity is at your place. Ideally, the humidity would be 40-50%. Getting close to 40% is very tough in the winter. Your skin and nose, and even your plants and furniture will be happier with a humidifier in the house! I have two of this type.

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.

[shootingstar]

Don't use overly hot water when you bathe.

M

THis is true to prevent drying out one's skin. I like my showers a little more than just lukewarm/warm.

[OakLeaf]

And make sure you're drinking plenty of water and getting lots of healthy fats in your diet.

[rocknrollgirl]

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.

What dosage on the fish oil to help with dry skin?