# Extremely Dry Skin: How to treat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 18, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886 "2013-07-18T22:35:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/21 "2013-07-19T02:35:13Z")
I had acne for years, but my skin is dry, so I broke out on the sides of my face and jaw, rather than my ‘t-zone’. Scrubbing cleans off dirt and dead skin and keeps my face clear - I do still get small breakouts if I don’t wash my face fairly regularly, as well as flaky/peeling skin. Cetaphil is far too drying for me. I can only use creamy, oil-based, ‘natural’ cleansers. Soap will dry my face to the point that it hurts to move it. As with everything, YMMV. Got to experiment. What you’re doing right now isn’t working, so see if something else does. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/22 "2013-07-19T02:53:26Z")
I somehow doubt I have a thyroid problem as I’ve been dealing with this my entire life and have had various checkups. Plus, I have no other symptoms. But still, I definitely do need to go to the doctor and get a variety of tests, probably. I haven’t been in years. I will keep the thyroid in mind. > [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I had acne for years, but my skin is dry, so I broke out on the sides of my face and jaw, rather than my ‘t-zone’. Scrubbing cleans off dirt and dead skin and keeps my face clear - I do still get small breakouts if I don’t wash my face fairly regularly, as well as flaky/peeling skin. > > Cetaphil is far too drying for me. I can only use creamy, oil-based, ‘natural’ cleansers. Soap will dry my face to the point that it hurts to move it. > > As with everything, YMMV. Got to experiment. What you’re doing right now isn’t working, so see if something else does. Yeah, I’ve been experimenting this whole time. The thing I’ve found works best is indeed thick, mineral oil based cream. It’s just a pain in the ass to keep that on all the time. Hair sticking to face = not cute. Edit: Face oil sounds nice but I’m not sure I’d pay that much even if I like it. At least not this point in my life. As I say, I’m not in any pain or anything, so I really don’t want to spend tons of money. I’ll keep it in mind for later, though. Thanks very much. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/23 "2013-07-19T02:56:32Z")
Have you ever tried not washing your face for, like, a week? Just rinse and rub it. If you produce as little oil as you say, then keeping the natural oils on your face might actually help. I agree that you should try exfoliation. I get pretty bad flakes on my face in winter. I have a salux cloth for exfoliating elsewhere, but I feel it’s too scratchy for the face. A plain old wet washcloth works great. My preferred facial moisturizer is Clinique, a bottle is $30-35 and it lasts for months. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/24 "2013-07-19T03:01:13Z")
Google “oil cleansing method”. I have very dry and very flaky skin on my forehead. I use Jojoba oil to cleanse using the method, then about 3 drops massaged into the skin on my forehead afterward. I use a sonic brush to exfoliate about once a week and this combination is working well for me. I also use Mary Kay Timewise moisturizer for dry skin in the morning and I’ve switched from foundation to Loreal BB cream. I’ve tried 4 different BB creams and the Loreal works better than the much more expensive alternatives I’ve used. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/25 "2013-07-19T03:03:34Z")
Well, rinsing it causes it to really dry out more than using the goat milk soap does. I’ve been thinking about just using cream cleanser and not really washing my face with water any more. I figure it’ll still get hit with water in the shower every day\* but I won’t focus on washing it. - I’m also thinking about showering every other day instead. I’ve used Clinique moisturizer and it did nothing for me, I’m afraid. I can’t really foresee any negative consequences of this. I don’t have acne any more. I don’t think I really get that dirty. So yeah, I may give it a go. [edit] Thanks, Hockey Monkey. I’ll search that. I haven’t ever tried BB cream. I guess because the main thing I need is concealer which looks cakey on dry skin no matter what if it has any amount of decent coverage. Might as well look into it though. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/26 "2013-07-19T14:37:35Z")
> [@Mathematics](#): > > Well, it’s not like I’ve been using the same handmade soap for 19 years. > It’s just the mildest, most moisturizing I could find. > > The only thing that I could think is better is to not wash my face any more (or only once in a while) and just use cream cleanser. Which . . . I dunno, that seems a bit drastic, but I may go that route if more frequent exfoliation doesn’t seem to work. > > I will definitely get Cetaphil, though. I have tried it in the past, but that was years ago. > > Thanks. I’m sorry; I missed that this was a lifetime problem. I just worry, probably unfairly, about the consistency of the quality control of the homemade products. But yes, dermatologists will tell you to use Cetaphil like IT support will tell you to turn it off and then on again. Drug stores or groceries will typically have a generic version at half the cost. I have consistently cracking skin on my hands, and I’ve had surprisingly healing results using [O’Keeffe’s](http://www.okeeffescompany.com/) Working Hands overnight. I have no idea what it might do to one’s face, though. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/27 "2013-07-19T14:53:02Z")
I don’t like Eucerin. I prefer Aveeno products. Eucerin seems to make it worse, and my dermatologist confirmed it’s not for everyone. O’keefe’s is great. Also cut down your showering, or at least, cut down on washing your face. A Lot. Never use hot water on your face. Use exfoliator. Baby your skin - in the winter, wear one of those masks if need be. None of this is going to help like going to a dermatologist at least once, but I understand it’s difficult to do when you don’t have insurance. I switched soaps constantly until I found one that helped my skin. And it wasn’t goat’s milk that I ended up with. As to your age issue/menopause, it might actually get better as you get older and your hormones change and level out. I’m not talking about menopause, I’m talking about the next 40 years until you get there. My body chemistry has changed drastically since I was 19. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/28 "2013-07-19T22:56:43Z")
I use Eucerin Original Moisturizing Lotion. I believe they also make an extra strength version. Whether you use this product or not, I hope you find something that helps soon. ---
**Author:** ![IaMoDiNaRy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IaMoDiNaRy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IaMoDiNaRy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/29 "2013-07-20T18:21:32Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I prefer Aveeno products. I have extremely dry skin and not just on my face. The very best product I found to wash my face with was Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser. If I wash my face with anything else, even just cool water, within minutes of drying I feel like my face is drying into a hard mask since my skin is so very dry. This doesn’t happen when I use the Aveeno cleanser. It costs around $7.50 at Target. My recommendation is to use a natural oil as a moisturizer. Since my skin is extremely dry, this seems to be the only thing that offers any relief and works for me. I apply it several times a day and it really makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/31 "2020-11-28T00:43:10Z")
Cerave is a good brand of fragrance free cleanser for sensitive skin. I think you should rinse off any cleanser extremely well, don’t let it dry on your skin. While your skin is still damp, apply a thin coat of plain old petroleum jelly to your face. This is how I finally have gotten a couple of red flaking patches on my face to settle down. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/32 "2020-11-28T02:15:12Z")
As a p.s. to my previous post, I wanted to show you the video of a dermatologist that made me think of trying petroleum jelly. This just happened to be a random recommended video. Made sense so I tried it and it actually works. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/u0Vuk2ERPbU/maxresdefault.jpg "Vaseline on the face| Dr Dray") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Vuk2ERPbU) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/33 "2020-11-28T02:17:29Z")
The OP hasn’t been here in 6 years. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886/34 "2020-11-28T15:58:14Z")
I know that this is an old thread, but I use Neutrogena. Lotion doesn’t do a thing for me, but Neutrogena does. It was designed to help Norwegian fisherman when they would repair their equipment in the winter, and their hands would get chapped and cracked. It’s EXTREMELY concentrated. I typically start with an amount about half the size of my small fingernail, and see if I need more. The Neutrogena company sells other products as well, so here is a link to the actual product, simply and solely for disambiguation. [https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-pack-Neutrogena-Norwegian-Formula-Dry-Hand-Cream-Fragrance-Free-2-oz/984245759](https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-pack-Neutrogena-Norwegian-Formula-Dry-Hand-Cream-Fragrance-Free-2-oz/984245759) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-dry-skin-how-to-treat/663886.md?page=1)