My Tips For Extremely Dry Skin

Come winter and many people complain about chronically chapped lips, cracked heels, splitting skin on the hands or rough elbows. Or legs and arms so dry they itch. I have periodically had all of these complaints myself, luckily now I have it pretty much under control and can catch the first symptoms before it gets worse. And this precisely is the secret of getting very dry skin under control -- starting at the first sign of the problem!

Get a hygrometer

If it shows that the moisture level in your home is less than 50%, consider getting a humidifier or simply place containers of water near your heater. Do actually get a hygrometer, because if your home air isn't dry then adding extra moisture can cause fungus to grow. Hygrometers are around 10€ in gardening supply stores.

Drink and supplement

It's often hard to stay hydrated when it's cold out! Personally I like to drink lukewarm water and herbal teas. Omega-3 is also very important -- I use oils like flaxseed and rapeseed oil, but you can also supplement.

Topical remedies:

Some products for very dry skin that I recommend:

* Lanolin (stinks, but oh so effective!)

* Weleda Skin Food

* Beeswax ointment with propolis from beekepers

* Products with 10% Urea (look under products for the feet)

* Lavera Neutral Intensiv Lotion (free of perfume)

* Shea series from Martina Gebhart

* Homeoplasmine

Generally plant butters do a much better job than oils.

Overnight hand or foot masks:

This is a method used for people with neurodermitis. Apply a thick layer of cream, over that a wet gauze or tubular bandage (don't allow this to dry out) and on top a sock or a glove.

Gloves:

I find that exposure to temperatures below freezing are the quickest was to dry, cracked hands. I have a lovely collection of gloves and mittens, and my tips are: 1. real wool is much warmer than synthetic, 2. TK Maxx is a great place to find it, 3. mittens are warmer than gloves, 4. muff for prams exist, and so do handlebar muffs.

In the home it's really important to wear gloves when cleaning.

Avoid irritants

Switch your soaps and shower products to gentler alternatives (lots of people swear by Aleppo soap). If your legs are dry, try epilating instead of shaving. Take shorter, cooler showers.

If you suffer from really dry skin, let me know in the comments what worked and what didn't work for you.