I have had dry skin all my life. Now I live in a humid, warm place but I still have trouble during our mild winter. For my face I use CeraVe pm. It has over 2,000 reviews on Amazon and the product is just shy of five star rating
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00365DABC?keywords=cerave%20pm&qid=1455479094&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Trader Joe’s makes a very nice shower gel that I use which is citrus but they have another one which is more like a tingly peppermint. Dove probably makes a nice one as well. I have used the creme from the Body Shop and it is very nice although the Nivea works just fine also.
Trader Joe’s also has a heavy duty Gardeners Hand Cream that I keep in my downstairs bathroom and they have small hand lotion with shea butter that I keep in my desk drawer at work. Ahava products are also outstanding. All the others mentioned Aveeno, Eucerin Aquafor are all good. Once when one of my d’s was young and had very sensitive skin the pediatrician suggested Albolene and we used that for awhile.
Here are a few tips from visits to dermatologists by my D and my nephew for sensitive skin/eczema:
Don’t stay in the shower for long. Don’t use hot water, just warm. Try to shower only every other day or less. Pat yourself dry, don’t rub at your skin. Put your moisturizing cream on while your skin is still damp.
I use Aquaphor for my hands. But I think the problem is more internal. I take fish oil and evening primrose oil and coconut oil. After 6 months or so, my skin is not dry anymore.
Another thing to modify is HOW you shower. The human body was never designed to be chemically stripped of its natural oils every day.
In addition to switching from soap to a gentle shower gel, don’t wash your entire body w it daily-- just focus on the “critical bits”. Unless you have a body odor, simply rinsing the “non-critical bits” w plain water is probably fine.
When you shampoo, don’t let the shampoo run-off rinse over the rest of your body. Lean forward and let it rinse directly down. Many people are sensitive to the foaming agents that are put in shampoos.
Good advice, @GMTplus7 I am definitely an aggressive washer/scrubber. Aside from any undiagnosed issue that might be contributing to the dryness, I’ve belatedly realized that I’ve neglected to modify my skincare regimen over the decades to adapt to my aging body. Ignorance is not always bliss.
To moisturize really dry skin quickly, use occlusion – put some vaseline on your hands, for example, and then put on a pair of cotton gloves and sleep that way. I would guess tights could be used for dry legs – if you never want to wear them again. For me, frequent repeat applications of nongreasy lotion work. If my hands are dry, I may put on Lubriderm 4 or 5 times before I leave for work… and several times during the day.
Also, if you squeeze the gel unto a washcloth and scrub with the washcroth, you’ll use less gel and get less of it where you don’t want it.
It drives me crazy when hotels don’t provide washcloths, so I always travel w one.
I always use a scrubby thing but maybe that’s removing too much of natural oils.
Any improvement?
Thanks for checking in @GMTplus7 ! Yes, some headway has been made and I’m sure it will continue to get better with more use of new products and warming temps around the corner. I’ve switched from soap to Cetaphil Sensitive Skin Body Wash and I’ve been slathering on the Aquaphor, both products carried by my local grocery store. I’ve been using the Aquaphor on my legs and the other super dry parts. It’s gooey but really cuts through the dryness and sinks in rather than t on top like many other products I’ve tried. I continue to use Aveeno on the rest of my body because I like the lack of scent and the light, non-greasy feel.
Next, I want to try the L’Occitane Shea Butter. Does it ever go on sale? I’ve been waiting and hoping for one.
I Quit Showering, and Life Continued
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/i-stopped-showering-and-life-continued/486314/
YMMV…