petroleum jelly - yuck. Sorry, I know it works, but the thought of using some gasoline derivative on your skin, which is an organ, just makes my skin crawl.

I used pure lanolin before, and I just couldn't get past the smell. It just smelled of... well... sheep or farmyard.

I try to use all natural products, but even pure shea butter doesn't seem to take care of the severe dry skin I seem to get in the winters these days. I found urea works very well; I found one that doesn't contain parabens and other chemicals.