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View Full Version : Natural lotion for REALLY dry skin?



daniele_ut
12-02-2009, 04:19 PM
I've always had dry skin but living in a desert state for 10 years is starting to take it's toll! We installed a whole house humidifier last year hoping that would do the trick, but my skin is still just parched all winter.

Can anyone recommend a paraben-free lotion that is really good for dry skin? I've been using Burt's Bees and it's just ok. I have to use a TON and it's getting expensive.

lchang25000
12-02-2009, 04:44 PM
I live in Utah also and this winter has been esp. hard on my skin, esp. hands. Our first winter here last year didn't seem so bad, maybe because I was preggo (my skin was great during pregnancy). The only thing that works for me is slathering on Aquaphor before bedtime (not sure I would call it "natural" though).

bluestar2
12-02-2009, 04:46 PM
I am not sure how petroleum products rate on "natural" (it comes from the ground right? lol) but after trying many, many products over the years, the only thing I have ever found that works for me is Aquaphor... and LOTS of it. The active ingredient is petrolatum (41%) and inactive are mineral oil, ceresin, and lanolin alcohol.

Melaine
12-02-2009, 04:51 PM
Coconut Oil

ETA: I've also heard EVOO, but personally only tried CO.

ThreeofUs
12-02-2009, 07:36 PM
Coconut Oil

ETA: I've also heard EVOO, but personally only tried CO.

I've tried both and both work - just differently. EVOO is better at sealing in the moisture, I think, and my skin feels softer with it. But its effects are short-lived (at least on me). Coconut oil lasts longer and my skin feels pretty good with it.

GL!

brittone2
12-02-2009, 07:40 PM
I was going to suggest coconut oil too. I buy a big container and use it for makeup removal, moisturizing, etc. EVOO is heavier/thicker and I like it for certain times too, but I mostly use CO. And you can buy it "organic" and still pay a fraction of what a conventional product (with a long list of ingredients) costs.

AmyZ
12-02-2009, 08:12 PM
Vanicream... Walgreens has it.

mommytotwo
12-02-2009, 08:37 PM
I second Vanicream -- it has worked really well for me too.

Zansu
12-02-2009, 11:48 PM
Nature's Gate Herbal Skin Therapy

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=40898&catid=155193&brand=12456&trx=PLST-0-BRAND&trxp1=155193&trxp2=40898&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-BRAND&cmbProdBrandFilter=12456

salsah
12-03-2009, 01:20 AM
where is a good place to buy coconut oil (for cosmetic purposes rather than cooking) and is there a specific type?

tia!

rgors
12-03-2009, 02:28 AM
I third vanicream.

For really dry skin, you need a cream in a tub, not a lotion. Any lotion will do nothing compared to any cream, as a general rule.

ThreeofUs
12-03-2009, 10:49 AM
where is a good place to buy coconut oil (for cosmetic purposes rather than cooking) and is there a specific type?

tia!


Coconut oil isn't really differentiated this way, I think. You just buy a jar of good stuff (unrefined, and not mixed with anything), warm it in your hands so it turns back to oil (at least in my neck o'the woods), and smooth on skin.

You buy it on line or at any good grocery store, not to mention WF and other health-food-oriented places.

It absorbs pretty quickly and the smell goes away fast, too. (Unlike olive oil, with which I always smell vaguely salad-like, lol.)

GL!

Edensmum
12-03-2009, 11:36 AM
Badger They have a whole line of good things.

fortato
12-03-2009, 11:52 AM
Vanicream... Walgreens has it.

OT- but I saw this and thought it said "Vagicream".

I'm not sure where you live, but if you're in New England (Or want to buy it online) Elizabeth Grady has this AMAZING hand cream called "Hand Silk"-
http://elizabethgrady.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=3051

It's like a product that Garden Botanika used to make that was the best hand cream I've ever used... but they don't exist. So thank goodness for Elizabeth Grady!

brittone2
12-03-2009, 11:53 AM
Coconut oil isn't really differentiated this way, I think. You just buy a jar of good stuff (unrefined, and not mixed with anything), warm it in your hands so it turns back to oil (at least in my neck o'the woods), and smooth on skin.

You buy it on line or at any good grocery store, not to mention WF and other health-food-oriented places.

It absorbs pretty quickly and the smell goes away fast, too. (Unlike olive oil, with which I always smell vaguely salad-like, lol.)

GL!

:yeahthat: I like the non chemically treated stuff...virgi/unrefined coconut oil. I can get an enormous TUB of it for like $20ish via our Frontier account. A more reasonably sized one will still last a looooooong time. I like Nutiva brand.

daniele_ut
12-03-2009, 12:49 PM
Thanks for the suggestions! Is coconut oil really greasy?

Thank you for the Vanicream suggestion. That looks like just what I was hoping to find! I'll be off to Walgreens to look today.

Kristen - that Elizabeth Grady hand cream looks really nice too. I have some Mary Kay stuff, but I've been trying to steer toward more natural stuff.

lizzywednesday
12-03-2009, 05:33 PM
Badger They have a whole line of good things.

I <3 Badger Balm ... I keep it on hand (with man-sized cotton gloves) for DH in the wintertime because he washes his hands so frequently (yes, really) and dries out his skin.

They make it unscented or scented. The scent is from something like birch oil.

I prefer to use it overnight with cotton gloves.

My other recommendation is Trader Joe's "Midsummer Night's Cream" hand lotion. It absorbs very quickly and is fine for use during the day.

brittone2
12-03-2009, 05:36 PM
Thanks for the suggestions! Is coconut oil really greasy?


Coconut oil is a little greasy when you first put it on, but it is a lighter consistency than something like olive oil (which is much thicker). Coconut oil will be liquid at warmer temps (like summer room temp) but solid (kinda like shortening) at cooler room temps. It melts right around 75 or thereabout so it will be liquid or solid depending on the time of the year. If you rub the solid stuff in your hands for a minute or two it will melt.

It absorbs pretty fast and is definitely not as oily/greasy and "thick" (when talking about melted coconut oil) as something like olive oil. It will soak in faster.

gatorsmom
12-03-2009, 06:59 PM
I love Vanicream too. Walgreens should sell it in a big jar with a pump. Vanicream also has bars of very mild soap. If your Walgreens doesn't carry one of these, you can ask them to get it for you. I've also started to see it at Target and again, if they dont' carry one of the products, you can ask them to order it for you.

My DH has bad eczema and psoriasis and this is the only stuff that works for him. Although, I'm really trying to go more and more natural so I might check out the CO.

daniele_ut
12-03-2009, 07:22 PM
I love Vanicream too. Walgreens should sell it in a big jar with a pump.

I found it today, along with 4 of the $0.99 Yes to Carrots lip balms. I'm going to start with this for now and find some coconut oil to try too. The Vanicream is petroleum based, but at least it doesn't have any parabens. Baby steps, right?

Beth - thanks! I didn't realize it would be solid at room temp. That makes it more appealing to try!

lil_acorn
12-03-2009, 10:38 PM
another vote for Vanicream! Leanred about it from my pediatrician

DrSally
12-03-2009, 11:12 PM
We are new users of Vanicream too, and love it. It works for DS's dry skin and doesn't sting. I also bought the Cerave cream, but haven't tried it yet. I also use Eucerin cream on extra dry spots, it's really thick and greasy. DS and I rub EVOO on our hands in the kitchen.

mom_hanna
12-03-2009, 11:34 PM
OT- but I saw this and thought it said "Vagicream".

I'm not sure where you live, but if you're in New England (Or want to buy it online) Elizabeth Grady has this AMAZING hand cream called "Hand Silk"-
http://elizabethgrady.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=3051

It's like a product that Garden Botanika used to make that was the best hand cream I've ever used... but they don't exist. So thank goodness for Elizabeth Grady!

Hey, I used to work for Garden Botanika (years ago), and they are still in business, just online - no stores. Check it out...http://www.gardenbotanika.com/
I don't know if they still carry your hand cream, but it might be worth a look!

Jennifer