Most of my life I haven't put anything on my skin to keep it from being dry. Now I hear I'm supposed to put stuff on it (when I do it's coconut oil, thanks to some of you all recommending it. But what's the deal, why do it? My skin is pretty dry and I live in a desert climate, but it hasn't bothered me. Do you care if you do it?
I think deep in our hearts we know that our comforts, our conveniences are at the expense of other people. Grace Lee Boggs
Because if you don't have the smooth supple unlined dewy radiant skin of a child, it means you might be OLD, which is apparently an appalling, shameful disgrace, a much worse sin than being a murderer, just ask any cosmetics company.
If your skin isn't itchy, I'm not sure you need to,slather crap on it.Originally Posted by larknm
me--wintertime dries up my skin and makes my back itch. I do put on skin lotion, but I also,keep,a backs rather in many rooms.
I don't put anything on my skin, either. Just too lazy and don't care. Nothing itches. Sometimes when I feel like smellin' purdy I use a scented body lotion.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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It depends on how dry it is, and where it is. If it's dry skin that is prone to cracking open, like on your feet and you walk around bare foot, then you run the risk of getting an infection in it, so it's good to keep it from getting too dry.
I have seldom put anything on my face, I hate the feel of the lotion-y things and am allergic to most scents, so I just don't bother, either. I do use a Body Shop vitamin e on my feet in the warm weather months.
Maybe moisturizers lessen wrinkles, maybe not, I don't know. Those with naturally oily skin get wrinkles later that those with dry skin but this is pretty much genetics I think (provided one's diet has adequate essential fats etc.).
In winter if the outside air is cold and if I'm running the heat indoors all the time I will use moisturizer as I can feel the dryness, it hurts. Otherwise I don't use moisturizer really. I have some natural shea butter and some other things big ol bottle of lotion I bought. In summer if I'm out in midday a lot the UV rays sometimes activate roscacea, it's not very visible unless you look carefully, but it burns, it burns! Sunburn lotion may make it worse if anything. I may put some moisturizer or aloe lotion for temporary relief.
Trees don't grow on money
My skin is dry, drier in some parts than others. I'm constantly using hand lotion, because washing my hands dries them out to the point where it is uncomfortable and my skin cracks. I put lotion on my back most of the year, because the skin there is dry and itchy and it's hard to scratch my back gracefully at work or out and about.
My face is still somewhat oily, even though I'm in my 50s. I don't use moisturizer on it, and I have very few wrinkles. Or as my sister, who is 9 years younger than me constantly points out, a lot fewer wrinkles than she does--and she uses every facial product on the market. I'm not convinced the stuff you put on your face can actually ward off wrinkles. I think a lot of that is genetic. I clearly inherited the aging genes from Mom's side of the family; Sis (and most of my brothers) clearly inherited the aging genes from Dad's side.
Dry skin is a symptom of something that could be unhealthy.
I’m sure I’ve contributed this information before, but since the question was asked…. Dry skin, and conditions like eczema and scaly patches have a number of contributors, as do wrinkles. The type of fat and how much sugar and carbs you eat are major contributors, as well as how much you’ve exposed your skin to UV rays (sun and tanning booths), smoking, and plain old genetics.
Applying coconut oil is great for occasional dryness, such as when you’ve been in dishwater a lot and the Dawn Dishwashing Liquid has stripped out all the natural oils. But for chronic dry skin, you need to address it from inside, not just outside.
-If you happen to have rough, dry elbows, try adding flaxmeal to your diet daily.
-Avoid poly-unsaturated fats. We’ve been sold a load of “stuff” about these modern, man-made fats, but the bottom line is they do a lot of damage inside the body since they are basically a source of free-radicals in the diet because they are rancid oils due to how they are manufactured and stored. Consume “good” fats instead. “There were studies performed by several plastic surgeons during the 1980’s found that women who consumed lots of vegetable oil had far more wrinkles and looked much older than women who consumed saturated fats.” I haven’t used vegetable oil for over 30-years and I avoid fast-food and highly-processed foods (both loaded with this type of damaging oil).
-Low-fat diets can also cause dry skin and wrinkles. I had a group of friends who all went on an extremely low-fat diet for weight loss through a certified dietitian (less than 20% of their calories were from fat). They all experienced dry skin, and they had significant hair loss, not to mention joint problems, from reducing fat, and eliminating all saturated and "good" fat from their diet.
-People with dry skin are often hypoglycemic and crave sugar and are eating a diet that is high in carbohydrates -- but deficient in good-quality fats. The elderly often consume large amounts of simple carbohydrates (cookies, crackers, snack food and candy) and experience dry skin.
Helpful Hint: When I get a sugar craving I’ll slowly nibble on a small piece of “Chocolate-Almond Protein Fudge” (* recipe below) and the coconut oil in the recipe will take away the cravings for sugar. Another way to fix a sugar craving is to make a cup of sugar-free cocoa and add some coconut oil to the cup. You can also spread coconut oil on bread/crackers and consume it that way when you get a sugar craving. Or you can lick a small amount off a spoon and eat it that way. The fudge is a most pleasant delivery system.
-It’s often thought that not drinking enough water is the culprit, but the water we drink mostly goes into the bloodstream, and the part that does reach the cellular level is there via fat. So skip the carbs and include butter, non-hydrogenated lard, coconut oil, nuts, seeds (flax, sesame, sunflower, chia, etc.) so you have consumed enough good fats for properly moist skin.
*CHOCOLATE-ALMOND PROTEIN FUDGE
1 c. coconut oil
½ c. chocolate protein powder
½ c. almonds (ground into meal)
2 t. raw honey (or other sweetener)
1 t. vanilla
Combine room-temperature coconut oil with protein powder until fully combined. Combine almond meal, vanilla. Fold in completely. Place in 9x5” loaf pan covered with parchment paper. Freeze 1-hr. or overnight. Store in freezer.
I probably wouldn't worry about it....except if you're always breathing in dry air and get lots of colds/upper respiratory problems/coughing. Some humidity is important for your lungs and can keep them healthier at fighting off viruses, etc.
My worst dry skin problem is in my fingertips. They crack and are very painful. I always wear dish-washing gloves when doing the dishes. I think some of us just have dry-skin genes.
Maybe you could take your baths with some sort of oil in it?
Thanks, lessisbest. I also remember reading that dry skin may indicate dietary deficiencies, particularly of high-quality fats that are vital for the proper functioning of the immune and central nervous systems. It may be that when supplies are short, they're shunted to the high-demand areas, leaving the skin dry. Dry skin may result from excessive sugar and processed starch intake. Carbohydrates draw a surprising amount of water, something like a pound of water for every ounces of carbohydrate; that's why we experience a sudden sharp drop in weight in the first couple of weeks on a low-carb diet - the body sheds that water. So dry skin could indicate subclinical dehydration.
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