I need the Straight Dope on moisturizers.
After I get out of the shower, my skin feels tight and dry on my face, hands to mid-forearm, and feet to mid-calf. If I apply moisturizer lotion, the feeling stops. If I don’t apply it immediately, I lose the tight feeling in my extremities by the time my hair is dry, but the feeling on my face lessens but continues the rest of the day and into the next day. I started needing face lotion maybe 5 years ago and the other parts are more recent.
If I don’t apply the lotion, (I get the hose) sorry… I do get tiny flakes from my face. My hands and feet are usually okay, but when I apply lotion to one of my feet and compare it to the other, the non-lotioned foot is noticeably whiter and, well, dry-looking.
In the shower, I only rinse with water- no soap. I use various sorts of shampoo and hair conditioner. I haven’t noticed a difference in what kind of lotion I use. I do try to stay away from petroleum products. I’ve even used straight olive or coconut oil. I don’t wear makeup on a regular basis, and I shower every other day in warmish water, not super-hot.
So my question is whether my applying the moisturizer is actually making things worse. If I skip it, will my skin learn to produce enough oil or whatever it’s lacking? How long will this take? I don’t want to be dependent if I can help it.
First off I would say you are doing a lot right in order to take care of your skin. To preserve your skin your shower habits are good so if anything is drying your skin it might be the environment of your daily routine that dries you out. If not that then I think you (like me) are just genetically prone to dry skin and will need to use moisturizer regularly for life.
Will your body learn to compensate on it’s own and make more oil? My body never has and I’m fairly old so I say no. Just keep doing what you are now, which is use a friendly non-toxic moisturizer.
Okay, so jumping back to my second sentence about your day to day environment, this could be what is drying you out. In my case I’ve spent a lot of my life working outdoors in dry and sunny weather and this definitely has a bad effect on my skin. Also if I spend a lot of time in winter at home using the room heating, this dry warm air definitely dries out my skin. Exposure to chemicals at work can do a number on my skin. Laundry fabric softeners are full of bad chemicals that are harsh on your skin. Take a look at your daily environments and maybe there is an answer there. Good luck.
I would always recommend a moisturizer. On any extremity - face, hands, etc. - as these are the ones that show the most often. I’d actually recommend it on all of your skin but the ones that I have found to be the best, are very expensive and only meant for the face.
About 15 years ago I found that just washing my face wasn’t enough. My face started peeling like I was sunburnt. I slathered on the regular body lotion to my face and was baffled that it wasn’t working until my boss gave me a store sample of her Estee Lauder (yes, expensive) moisturizer. So I tried it.
It worked, instantly. It surprised me actually, how fast it was, after my suffering. That was when I actually recognized the expensive mall brands as having something over the drug store, where I’d rather shop. So it’s been Estee Lauder, and recently, Clinique, for those last 10 years. The Clinique isn’t as good as Estee Lauder. But I can’t afford $80 for moisturizer and my mother gave me the Clinique.
Long story short: don’t let yourself dry out. All that skin pulling-ness you feel - well that’s wrinkles, later. Moisturize the hell out of anything that feels stretchy.
If you moisturize any body part immediately following a shower, you will essentially “trap” the water your skin has absorbed. This is a good thing.
If you wait longer following the shower before moisturizing, the water in your surface skin will evaporate.
~VOW
Another thing to consider is the shower itself. Hot water alone can dry some people out. You might consider switching to very warm instead of quite hot. Also, excessive chlorination or minerals can be a factor. You could try a shower head that purifies the water.
Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin A, a lack causes dry skin. Also, read the ingredients in your lotion. Most contain some form of alcohol. That’s bad. It’s used as an inexpensive emulsifier. The lotion will make your skin feel better for a while, but will actually dry it more over time.
It’s a rough go, but I think you can… OH!… you meant moisturizers!!!
My bad
Quasi
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Moved thread to IMHO.
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You might also consider exfoliating. This could be as simple as using a rough washcloth on your face, chest, arms, legs, feet, etc. Then when you towel off after taking your short, lukewarm shower, slather on a an alpha hydroxy lotion. This will continue the exfoliation which simply means to remove old, dead skin cells and reveal newer smoother skin cells. You should notice a big change within a month.
Heh. My first thought upon reading the thread title was also along those lines. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Rehab might be safer and give you a better shot at success.”
Anyway, I just got back from shopping, and one of my purchases was a couple of bottles of Aveeno bodywash. I started using it last winter instead of either soap or other bodywash, and it does seem to help with winter dryness on everything but my face and hands.
And the reason behind washing and conditioning your hair but not your skin is…?
You can wash your skin without soap. I have been doing so for years- on my doctor’s recommendation, as it dries dry skin further.
And why would anyone use conditioner on their skin? 
It’s perfectly possible to use soap containing products on your hair with minimal effect on your skin- again, I have been doing so for years. The OP never said she had dry hair, so has no reason to avoid soap products on her hair, and they are more effecting at cleaning than plain water, if skin dryness is not an issue.
As you grow older, your skin may naturally become less elastic and dry; I can’t imagine not using moisturizer. Especially in winter, and especially if you live in an arid climate.
Olive oil or goats milk soap doesn’t dry my skin out much (and can be used on hair too).
Also I’ve used Na-PCA sprayfor about 20 years now (along with other moisturizers as needed) and absolutely swear by it.
Anecdote: My mother is a weaver, a smoker and will be 80 next year. As a weaver, she’s been in close contact with lanolin (in the sheep’s wool) for decades and has made it a habit to routinely rub her face and any other exposed skin with her hands while working. She has beautiful skin and claims it’s because of the frequent lanolin use.