It’s got cold (for us, anyhoo) and windy in Southern California for a few days. This really dries my skin out and then I itch terribly.
Are there any dry skin remedies that do not involve lotion? Anything I soak in? Any minerals I can consume? Dietary changes? What do you folks do to relieve dry skin?
If you have to use a lotion, what’s the fastest way to get moisture back into your epidermus?
High Desert denizen checking in.
I sympathize, normally I have such oily skin I could probably put the House of Saud in the poorhouse, but this time of year I switch to Pond’s cold cream for my poor cheeks. 
I know you said no lotion, but I think that’s really the best solution. Why are you opposed to it, if you don’t mind my asking?
Aveeno makes a powdery preparation of oatmeal and other stuff which you add to some warm bath water. It makes the water look a little revolting, a milky oatmeal beige, but it works. It’s not perfumey, either. They sell it in boxes of six or so envelopes.
I live in the bay area, and we’re feeling it as well. I think I have one envelope left; I’m going to have a soak in it this weekend and get some relief.
Lotion will work the fastest, but otherwise make sure you’re getting enough healthy fat in your diet, either through food (salmon, olive oil), or take supplements like fish oil.
Ok, the unhealthy types of fat will help if that’s why your skin’s dry too, but I wouldn’t recommend it 
And when it’s really dry, I’m a huge fan of Buffy from Lush. It scrubs off the dry skin, and leaves you moisturized, and you can just do it in the shower. Sweet Japanese Girl is similar, but for your face instead of your body.
Come winter time when it gets cold and the heater comes on regularly drying out the air in the house, my wife and I always start using soap with shea butter in it. It’s a bit more expensive, but helps alieviate the worst of the symptoms.
yes, I was also wondering what’s wrong with lotion? you don’t have to put a lot on, if the greasiness is what bothers you.
if you have to use lotion, my dermatologists have always recommended putting it in right after the shower. And (they say) avoid long showers, as it dries out the skin.
Don’t forget to drink water, lots of water. Your skin can’t stay hydrated without enough water.
You might give this lotion a try. Even my lotion-averse partner will use it. It doesn’t leave your skin greasy and it has a very mild scent.
I don’t like using lotion in the winter (my apartment has radiators instead of central heat so my lotion tends to be cold which makes the application of it unpleasant) so I got a lotion warmer. It has helped out quite a bit! I don’t know if you have the same problem but if so I highly recommend it.
Me too with the lotion. I can’t recommend Olay’s Quench enough. I’ve got patches on my arm that are so dry that they don’t tan. Quench is the first thing I’ve ever used (and I’ve used a bunch) which has fixed this. They aren’t lying when they say that it not only moisturizes your skin when you put it on, but it seems to change your skin. Absorbs pretty quickly, too.
It’s relatively cheap. Give it a try, and if you hate it, you can send the rest of the bottle to me!
I like Eucerin Calming Creme. Very good for hypersensitive skin.
I’ll be watching this thread with interest. My skin gets dry and then cracks which hurts like a. . . well, it hurts.
Since you’re posting from CA, I’ll note that the worst symptoms for me are not when it’s just totally dry, it’s when the humidity changes to dry and back again.
I have a hygrometer (very inexpensive) to check the humidity and put on the humidifier (steam, not cold – cold didn’t seem to work as well and seemed prone to more bacteria/mold circulating in the air) when I see a big change. I also try to drink more water during those times.
With all that, my skin still cracks. I’d sure like to find a way that easier and more effective to control this.
Oatmeal baths do help, and you don’t have to get any fancier than just plain oatmeal.
Pour a half a cup or more of dry rolled oats into a clean sock, some cheesecloth or cloth napkin. Pretty much anything made of clean cloth will work. Tie it closed and throw it into the tub while it fills, and leave it in while you soak.
You can even use the oatmeal bag to scrub yourself.
I hate it when the air gets dry. I get sinus headaches and dry skin. Clinique for Men works well for me. It was fairly expensive as I recall but I’ve had the same tube of it for years. My ex-wife got it for me when we were still together so I’ve had it for over three years. I just rub a very small amount of it on after my morning shower.
Use a humidifier in your bedroom at night. Spending a third of your day in a humid environment works wonders.
I’ll be hitting the store for a shea butter body wash today. My skin has been so dry and itchy lately that it’s driving me crazy. It kept me up for over an hour in the middle of the night cause it was itching and hurting so much. UGH!
Gonna try some shea butter soap and get a humidifier.
Does the oatmeal sound a little creepy to anyone else?
I hate putting the lotion on. It just seems like such a hassle, plus there are some dry spots on my back that are not easily reached.
Is baby oil a viable alternative? Granted, it’s greasy as all git-out but it may be easier toi apply.
Living in a dry area without itchy skin is a process, not really a quick fix. I tend to bathe only every other day in winter (your natural oils are your first, best defense against dry skin), I don’t use soap on my face at all, I use a facial lotion after showering (Oil of Olay day lotion for sensitive skin), slather on vaseline on my hands before I go to sleep and leave it on all night, and I have a whole bunch of lotions in the house I use when it gets too much. A good humidifier in the house is also a good idea. Some people swear by putting on baby oil as soon as they get out of the shower, before even toweling off - I never remember to do that, but it might help.
ah, winter. snowflakes, hot apple cider, waking up in the middle of the night scratching cuz your skin is just so dry. I look forward to it all summer…
neutrogena makes a bath oil that you can either put in your bathwater to soak in or apply to your skin after you shower. I’ve never tried the bath method, but the other way works pretty well. there’s another comapny that makes a similar product that’s less expensive and smells like chocolate chip cookies, but I don’t remember the name. I can try to find it.
regarding lotions, I’ve been told to look for one that has petrolatum as an ingredient. it’s another name for petroleum jelly, aka vaseline. I guess putting it in a lotion makes it easier to apply than scooping the glop out of a jar.
if you’re really desperate, aquaphor healing ointment (made by Eucerin) is really good. It’s very thick and kind of greasy, so I don’t like to use it all the time, but it works.
good luck!
i have always found that cocoa butter works well for me. its similar to the shea butter in the soap i believe but i buy it in stick form and it usually lasts for a really long while. just a little bit a couple of times per day clears up moderate to severe dry skin for me in a few days, YMMV.
If you look into ground flax seeds, one of the benefits is improved skin condition. It’s easy to add a tablespoon or two of flax seed meal in something that you eat every day.