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Thread: dry skin?

  1. #1
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    dry skin?

    I feel I've used every contrivance, shea butter, vaseline, olive oil, cocoa butter, eucerin, vaseline Intensive care, Aveeno, Aloe vera from the plantm corn huskers, Berts Bees...but still my hands and hair are SO, SO dry. Nothing seems to really work. I suffer chronic dry skin and hair. Does anyone feel they have found a cure for such dryness? I am hypo thyroid, and take medicaiton. I've heard it is a symptom of the condition. I am tested once a year for my levels, drink lots of water. But...I don't want an online diagnosis, as much as I would like to hear what works for people.

  2. #2
    Senior Member leslieann's Avatar
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    My partner just brought home from his drumming circle a jar of shea butter. Not a cosmetic, just plain shea butter (which I didn't even know you could buy). Anyway, they use it before playing and it sure feels like it might work on my cracked and dry hands. Apparently is also helps to condition the skin of the drum heads. That seemed like a recommendation (!)

    Sounds like you have been through a lot, Tiam. I hope someone has a good suggestion. Here is mine: do you get enough fat in your diet? In the 1980s I worked in an obesity treatment program where people were using those protein sparing fasts.....with three "shakes" a day. They lost weight but boy, did the skin ever dry out...when they added some fat back to the diet they smoothed out a lot.

    Anyway, can't say there is any scientific evidence but it does seem that what goes in the mouth should have at least as much effect as what we put on the skin from the outside.

    Also, someone told me last week to check my soaps for sodium laureth sulfate. My soap doesn't have it, but it turns out my dishwashing detergent does. Apparently that is very drying as well.

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    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    I mix my shower gel or soap 1/2 and 1/2 with oil. Sounds weird, but it really help to keep the itchies at bay in the winter. I use Dr Bronner's soap for my face. I use almond oil or jojoba typically for oils, sometimes sesame (not the toasted sesame!). My skin is not greasy, just not all dry and scaly.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Miss Cellane's Avatar
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    To some extent, I think you just have to experiment with different lotions. My best friend and I both suffer from very dry skin, especially in the winter. The lotion that works best for her, well, I swear it leaves my skin dryer than before it put it on.

    Since at least part of the cause of your dry skin could be the thyroid condition, have you spoken to your doctor about this? I believe that there are some prescription skin lotions out there--your doctor most likely has other patients with the same problem and knows what works and what doesn't.

    I mostly use Neutrogena products--their Norwegian formula hand cream is the only thing that really works on my hands. They also have body lotion and shower gel that don't dry my skin out. In addition, at night I use a cuticle oil. It's not just for cuticles--I rub it in on the skin all around my nails. Since I've started using it, I don't get the splitting and cracking and bleeding and little infections that I used to have all winter long.

    Also, consider showering every other day instead of every day. You can take a sponge bath on the days you don't shower if you think you need it. When you do shower, make it as short as possible. I only wash the areas that get stinky, the "pits and bits" and my feet. In the winter, I just don't get dirty or sweaty enough most days to really need to lather up all over.

    Check out various soaps and body washes to find ones that work best for you.

  5. #5
    Senior Member pony mom's Avatar
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    Have you tried taking fish oils and using a humidifier? These can help.

    Warm, not hot showers, olive oil soap helps too. I found a moisturizer that's paraben free that's working pretty well for me (Alba Organics) but I see you've tried everything. The Body Shop's Body Butters help me during the worst part of winter; they're very thick but a little goes a long way. I use the shea butter.

    Maybe dry brushing your body will increase circulation and lymph flow to get everything under the skin moving.

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    On my hands, I use a water-based lotion and after it is rubbed in top that with an oil-based lotion. The rest of my skin does not get dry - my hands are a problem in winter due to washing dishes, cleaning, etc. I use rubber gloves when my skin gets dry and that helps a lot.

    I wash my hair about twice/week. I use two conditioners each time - one quick conditioner that seems to take away the dry feel and then a longer conditioner that has a kind of wax in it that seals in that moisture.

    I think that taking an omega-3 supplement can also aid with dry skin and hair.

  7. #7
    Senior Member reader99's Avatar
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    I have always had dry skin and hair. My lower legs flake, even with daily moisturising. Two things have helped: Aquaphor moisturizer, recommended by my doctor (WalMart has a less expensive equivalent); and eating the so-called 'good fats' - avocado, salmon, tuna, nuts and seeds. This has really been dramatic. I eat sunflower kernels and pistachios, since I seem to be mildy allergic to other tree nuts and to peanuts.

  8. #8
    Senior Member mtnlaurel's Avatar
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    I have eczema and have had good luck with CeraVe cream
    www.cerave.com

  9. #9
    Senior Member reader99's Avatar
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    Is Cerave by any chance unscented?

  10. #10
    Senior Member mtnlaurel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by reader99 View Post
    Is Cerave by any chance unscented?
    It does't say Uncented on the jar, but it doesn't have any added scent to my nose.
    The website seems pretty thorough and they have the ingredients listed for each product.

    A dermatologist recommended I try it after an eczema outbreak on my hands.

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