Battling Dry Skin

      Fall is in full swing now and winter is almost here, and with it dry and itchy skin.  Combating dry skin is fairly easy; all you need are a few tips and a good lotion.

     First thing is to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.  Water helps hydrate your skin; drinking water is good no matter what season it is.

     Limit the hot water in the shower.  I know it feels really good, but it strips your skin and hair of its natural oil, leaving it dry.  It can also be a good idea to get a moisturizing soap for your body.  I just use Ivory soap since it’s mostly natural. 

      An obvious fix to dry skin is to apply lotion throughout the day.  I put lotion on my hands all through the day to keep them soft.  Apply lotion on your hands before you go to bed, that way it has a chance to sink in while you sleep and it won’t get washed off.   It’s also a good idea to apply lotion after you shower.  Lotion will help replace the oil that has been stripped from your skin.  I apply lotion all over my body right after I’ve taken a shower and my skin is still damp.  That way the lotion locks the moisture into your skin.   If you need extra moisture, after you take a shower and dry off, spray yourself with a spray bottle of baby or body oil.  

     If you deal with dry skin on your face, there are lots of great moisturizing masks and scrubs you can make.  Honey is great for moisturizing your face and it gives you a silky complexion.  Make sure you apply face lotion every morning and night after you wash your face.  I also put face lotion on after I shower since my face is usually dry.  Michelle Phan made a great video showing how to make a sugar scrub.

     For your lips, buy a good lip balm.  Eos Sphere Lip Balm is my favorite and Chapstick also has some good ones.  Using petroleum jelly instead of a lip balm is also very moisturizing and it’s less expensive.  If your lips are dry, licking them makes them worse.  If you have dry lips, it could also mean you’re thirsty and you need to drink water.  Apply lip balm throughout the day and especially at night so it can sink in.

     Use your richest and most expensive moisturizer for your hands and feet; they take the most abuse and need lots of moisture.   If your feet are super dry and crack during the winter, rub them with a pumice stone after taking a shower, and then follow with lotion or a special formulated foot cream.  Putting socks on after will help lock in the moisture. 

Some good lotions:

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula

Baby lotion (any brand)

Jergens

Bath & Body Works

Eos

     This is my last post before Christmas, so Merry Christmas everyone! 

Becca xxoo