Extreme Dry Skin

vickeym
vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 2020 in General Health

Was wondering what everyone would recommend for extremely dry skin. I have used so many different lotions over the years and none seem to do much. I am trying to drink a LOT more water than I used to, but even with that my skin stays so dry you can write in it.

I have some Marshmallow root powder, but not sure yet how to use it. Also have calendula which I have read is good for dry skin. Still have to infuse some oil with that. My feet get so rough I can literally scratch others if my foot scrapes theirs.

I have to use some type of sanding device to keep the dry skin under control and the calluses down to a minimum. Winter in Alaska has made it even worse. My skin cracks and bleeds at times.

Appreciate any advice and suggestions.

Comments

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    I mainly struggle with dry hands, as I work in childcare and must wash them frequently, as well as using disinfectants(whew, it only took five tries to spell that right!). My hands used to bleed. Solid lotion is what works for me. It doesn't wash off every time you wash your hands. It works best if you apply it when your skin is moist from washing but no longer visibly wet. Here's a recipe for it. https://wellnessmama.com/4770/lotion-bars/

    I use coconut oil as a body lotion after I shower, and solid lotion anywhere that's extra dry. Hope you find something that works for you.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    @vickeym I had a friend who had dry feet. She put lard on her feet at bedtime and then put socks on. She claimed that it worked well. I have considered doing the same (my feet sound just like yours), but I don't really like the thought of possibly wrecking the sheets doing this. Maybe it wouldn't do anything, but I am still on the fence.

    As far as dry hands, I was blessed with this as are two of my kids. It is a type of winter eczema as far as I understand. I have found that an oil/salve of plantain & chickweed works nicely. I have also mixed this with comfrey & horsetail, but the first is adequate.

    On a side note, my oldest puts this same combination on her face daily. It is the only thing that she has found works for her to clear her extreme acne. If I am not mistaken, it seems to have healed any minor scarring too.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @vickeym I agree with @Laurie about the plantain and chickweed salve. I have made a similar one. You could also try cottonwood bud salve. I have a client whose daughter has very bad eczema and she swears it is the only thing that helps. Not sure how it would work for acne but it sure is nice on minor cuts and cracks in the skin regardless of what body part you are using it on.

  • tla.cls.mt
    tla.cls.mt Posts: 19 ✭✭✭

    If it were me, I make sure any medical causes are ruled out.

    Then, is look at washing/bathing. Are you using real soap, or commercial soaps/body washes which are more like detergents. Cleansing can really dry skin out if done improperly.

    Moisturizing. I like hard lotion bars made from coconut oil, Shea butter, and beeswax for protecting my skin. I use natural oil based facial oils and serums on my face.

    Staying hydrated helps, as does humidifying the air in my home, especially during winter months.

    Nutrition. Often our skin reflects our nutrition status as well. In addition to drinking water, eating a healthy diet rich in healthy fatty acids $ antioxidants helps.

  • Megan Venturella
    Megan Venturella Posts: 678 ✭✭✭✭

    There are a lot of great comments here, but I wanted to add that not all oils are equally moisturizing. I love coconut oil, for example, but while it's great for oily skin, really dry painful skin requires something more moisturizing. I gave myself an awful rash on the neck once using a clay mask that was too drying for my neck, and after a week of coconut oil there was no change. ONE application of rosehip seed oil, and the rash was GONE!

    Also, gentle exfoliation really helps the moisturizers sink in instead of just rubbing oils into flaky, dead skin.

    I love body butters applied right out of the shower. Here's a recipe that makes a lot and leaves my skin feeling amazing. I think you can skip the evergreen and use whichever essential oil you like, or none at all. But the combination is luxurious and I'm hooked.

    https://learningherbs.com/remedies-recipes/homemade-body-butter/

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thank you all for your help. Will be looking into making the lotions and learning more about all your suggestions.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    @vickeym I was just thinking abit more about this. Contents in tap water can affect skin.

    Also, I found that when I had to bath (instead of choosing to shower), that my feet became much softer and the hard callouses & cracks became much less without changing anything else. It was surprising! Perhaps soaking your feet in very warm water for 20 minutes will help. I would top this off with an infused healing oil while my feet were still warm, to help afterward.

  • Devi
    Devi Posts: 18 ✭✭✭

    @vickeym I find that lotions/creams with beeswax help me a lot in the winter time. I also take more flax oil (on food), I feel like this helps lock in moisture from the inside out.

  • SuperC
    SuperC Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭

    When skin feels dry, I apply a small amount of Hawaiian Tropic sun tan lotion.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @vickeym I don't use lotion and really never have, as it's meant to dry your skin (but that's another story). I have read that eating fat (especially in the Winter) can help with dry skin and that can be eating seeds and nuts..

    For most of my life my family and I have used Olive Oil. We typically put on after the shower and it will last all day long. For cracking, I would suggest something like Shea Butter (unrefined) and also possibly making and using a Comfrey Infused Oil or salve.

  • Karin
    Karin Posts: 272 ✭✭✭

    Try soaking your feet in a footbath with baking soda, it softens the skin and it can easily come off, leaving your feet nice and soft :)

  • coach.janet.bolton
    coach.janet.bolton Posts: 6 ✭✭✭

    Drinking enough water is a great start! Have you tried dry brushing (find a good video demo on YouTube) before your bath or shower? Besides getting rid of dry skin flakes, dry brushing is a great way to detox. The more often you dry brush-try to do it daily-the softer and smoother your skin will become. Apply moisturizer right after bathing while your skin is still damp so you help to seal in the water your skin losses in a dry climate. Hope this helps!

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is all great information. Thank you all so much. I do have confrey salve I made. Never even thought to use it on my feet. Trying to drink as much water as I can. Though I have never been accustomed to drinking a lot of fluids. Not sure why. I drink during the day when I'm thirsty. But it just never seems to be that much.

    Anyway, Thank you all again for the suggestions.