I found a very interesting article about skin. I tend to have dry skin (especially in the wintertime) and I happen to shower on a daily basis. A Yahoo Health article gave some information on how to relieve the pesky dry skin.
The following information may help you to prevent dry skin and itching:
Avoid showers. They strip the natural oil that helps the skin hold in moisture. Baths are much kinder to the skin than showers are.
Use bath oils in the tub. (Be careful, because bath oil will make the tub slippery.)
Use a moisturizing lotion immediately after your bath, even before toweling dry completely.
If you are like me and have to try and relieve that itchiness of dry skin, the article said to try an oatmeal bath. Here is the recipe:
Wrap 1 cup of oatmeal in a cotton cloth and boil as you would to cook it. Use this as a sponge and bathe in tepid water without soap.
You may also try a commercial product, such as Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal bath.
Try a nonprescription 1% hydrocortisone cream for small itchy areas.
Use the cream very sparingly on the face or genitals.
If itching is severe, your doctor may prescribe a stronger cream.
If you want to read the whole article, you can read it here http://health.yahoo.com/skinconditions-overview/dry-skin-and-itching/healthwise—hw107895.html.
Do you have drive skin and use something to stop the persistent itch?
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I also have dry skin (especially in the winter) that is extremely sensitive to lotions, soaps, etc. The lotions I have found to be mild are Aveeno, Luberdrum, and Cetaphil. In the winter I often use Cortisone Cream before I go to bed to prevent/relieve any itchiness.
Hope that helps!
July 24, 2009 - 5:25pmThis Comment
I just learned that it's good to use a lotion high in lactic acid. The problem is most of the ones with really high percentages of lactic acid are only available with a prescription. However, I found a lotion called AmLactin off this website called littleredbumps.com and it has 12% lactic acid, which I believe is the highest percentage available without a prescription. I love love love it and I can't stop telling people about it. I also have suffered from KP for years and it's worked wonders on making those little red bumps disappear. Hope that helps.
July 22, 2009 - 2:10pmThis Comment
AmLactin is good for keratosis. Dry skin can be caused by a number of issues. Overloading dry skin with some products, like those containing lanolin or lactic acid, can backfire, which is what happened to me.
So, it comes down to an individual condition. I think some people will benefit from a product like AmLactin or Eucerin, while others have to find products based on other ingredients. Olive oil-based products are working for me.
July 22, 2009 - 5:23pmThis Comment
My skin can be so dry that I can write my name in it. However, Eucerin prevents my skin from hydrating and even causes problems. I do like Aquaphor and Aveeno, though.
I have to shower every morning, or I just don't feel awake. Even after a hot soak or ice bath, I have to shower. So, fragrance-free gel soaps, lotions and baby oils are the only ways I can get sufficient topical relief.
Otherwise, drinking lots of water helps. My doctor said that I wasn't getting enough fat in my diet (isn't that a switch), so I simply added a bit more olive oil in my cooking. Speaking of which, my grandfather had beautiful skin and attributed it to his use of olive oil as a moisturizer.
February 16, 2009 - 6:08pmThis Comment
I do have dry skin, and my son has eczema, and for both of these we use Aquaphor (it's Vaseline with a kick!), and for times when we can't be greased up during the day, we use Eucerin. They both work extremely well. The Aquaphor is just like you said: immediately after bathing, we liberally apply the Aquaphor to our son/ourselves within 2 minutes of toweling off (dry off by dabbing gently).
It's funny to me...all of the products on the market, and Vaseline (or it's counterparts with extra medicine) is still the best!
When my son's eczema is bad and itchy, we apply OTC cortisone cream at night, and the next morning, it is gone! This product is not recommended to use on a daily basis; it's for flare-ups.
February 15, 2009 - 3:25pmThis Comment