I'm interested in this question too. My legs have started itching like crazy this week, all of a sudden. I put every conceivable type of lotion on them morning and night. So far baby oil gel has been the best. I've used a salve made of beeswax from Burt's Bees, and also Neutrogena special Norweigan formula stuff, but so far just the baby oil gel has stopped the itching. But it is soooo greasy!

After you take a shower, gently pat your body dry to keep it damp, don't scrub all the moisture away. I love Cetaphil cream in the jar for my legs, it is thicker than the lotion in the pump. I know Walgreens and Costco both carry it, it shouldn't be hard to find.

Do this before going to bed, then wrap saran/plastic wrap around your calves from above the knee to your ankles and put socks and sweatpants on over the wrap to protect your sheets. I used to do this about once a week, it really helps your calves soak up the moisture.

Also, drink lots of water, a good idea anyway, but is still worth mentioning.

I like the a couple of products and alternate. I use Neutrogena Sesame Body Oil right after a shower, it's very light. I use baby oil gel but agree, a little goes a long way. I really like Oil of Olay Body Wash with shea butter and in-shower Body Lotion. I found them recently in a combo pack at Target. The scent is light and pleasant.

Pure coconut oil. Get it at the health food store. It's rich without clogging the pores. Nothing worked well for my Florida sun-parched legs until I tried it. Get 100% cc. oil. No perfumes, etc.

Cheers!

I saw a tv segment on this today that said to use a good cream instead of a lotion. Creams are made to hold moisture in more than lotions. And also to put it on right after a shower that is not too hot (hot water dries out your skin) and to barely dry to leave moisture on your legs before addding the cream. Thanks so much for your suggestions...I am anxious to try them and so appreciate you that took the time to answer my question!

I've put vaseline on my hands and then worn gloves over that to bed, and done the same with my feet and socks, so I might try the saran wrap technique! Those heavey greasy creams are not good for the day, but work overnight. I just forget to put them on and don't want to get the bedding all stained.

I'm gonna have to keep saran wrap by my bed now. I did hear on TV once when I was a kid that wives should wrap themselves in saran wrap as a turn on for their husbands. I don't know if this would be quite the same thing! It's a good thing I'm single, lol!

I don't know about turning your husband on, but mine did laugh and point a lot! He called me a dork, which I always take as a big compliment. Yes, the Cetaphil cream in a jar is much thicker than the lotion, I use both, but the cream goes on my legs, the lotion on my arms and torso.

Yes, just slather LOTS of cream on your legs and knees before you wrap them up; you will be surprised how little is left the next morning, your skin just soaks it up. Just get a pair of fairly heavy sweatpants and thick cotton socks that go up over the bottom of the sweatpants to protect your bedding. Again, probably NOT a turn on, but it will make your legs feel great!

Also, try to shave less in the winter months. Shaving is the worst on dry legs, so make sure to use a loofah and scrub the dead, dry skin off before shaving your legs, then apply above stated costume. And Bluelou, you are right about a cooler shower, it is hard to do in the winter when you just want that hot water to melt your troubles away!

I am 65 years old and have had very dry skin all of my life, with little bumps on my upper arms and thighs. I've hated it. But, I've found the answer! I was first prescribed this lotion from a expensive dermatologist, but since then I buy them from a web site.

I first used the Glytone Keratosis Pilaris Kit, which consists of a Exfoliating Body Wash and a Body Lotion. Using these two products on my arms and legs made them flake for months. I got rid of so much dead skin! It did take months.

After I quit flaking, I began using the Glytone Retexturizing Lotion, which contains glycolic acid and a SPF 15. I now have the softest, smoothest skin. And not dry.

I know that I sound like a commercial for this stuff, but after so many years, I am loving having decent skin. The web site I buy from I usually call and talk with them. They are so very helpful. I didn't know if it is okay to post a website, so I won't.

Good Luck - SharB

Sharb, you have eczema, which is what the bumps are. I have a prescription cream for them too, it is easy to take care of when they are minor. I get mine from any scented lotion, so I have to use the Cetaphil or other unscented lotion first. If you can get rid of them without a steroid cream, more power to you! I have to dab the cream on the bumps or they will never go away.

Sharb you do not have eczema, it sounds like you know what you have by the products you are using. I am sure the Dr. told you that you have Keratosis Pilaris. I too have a slight case of it. I use a glucosamine wash and a lotion with 7% benzoyl peroxide in it, which takes it right away, but it will come back if I stop using the benzoyl.
And for bluelou the best thing to use on your dry skin is Aveeno lotion and if you take baths use Aveeno oatmeal bath when you bathe otherwise you can use the Aveeno bar or shower cream when in the shower. All can be purchased at any drug store. It will clear up your dry skin almost overnight.
Good luck,
Carrie

Try Zim's Crack Cream. (hehe, I know...) It doesn't smell so great, rather medicinal, but it works on my dry winter hands and shins. The liquid stays a bit greasy, but the lotion in the pump bottle is great.

Here is a link that might be useful: clicky for cracky

I had to search and see if the original crack thread was still active !!!!!
the good old days.

Here is a link that might be useful: crack talk funnies

Michelle, you have given lots of helpful advice to answer the original question.

This forum seems to be a spam magnet, and since I'm on vacation I have time on my hands to read and notice and be annoyed. I need to do something more productive with my time -- like clean my house!

I thought that it was the same person promoting their own book because:

- the poster's screen name was very close to being an anagram for the book author's name
- the second-language writing style on the linked website was a match
- nastyanova had registered the same day she/he posted to promote the book

I have no problem with people posting links to sites, and I do that too. (Another Cetaphil fan here!)
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My advice -- I take a daily multivitamin, but within a month of also including the following three capsules I could notice that my skin was less dry, especially knees and elbows:

1200mg fish oil
1000 flax seed oil
100 mg Alpha Lipoic Acid

And, as Michelle suggested, if I drink more water that helps too.

My legs are dry also, but every year in the winter it will like this, and it will be ok itself later. But if your situation is really bad, you can get some body cream, don't get those too oily ones, they will make your skin strang in long time.

I would consider exfoliating to get rid of the flakiness. A great home made exfoliator is sugar from your kitchen mixed with some sweet almond oil which you can buy at a health food store and is very inexpensive. Slather on in the shower, massage in and rinse off. It works well.

The explanation of my language style is simple - my family moved to the USA from Russia not long time ago. It is easier to stick to people (I mean some unknown situation) that have something in common with you (like mentality).
But that doesn't diminish the significance of raw food lifestyle anyways. You need to have a great will-power to do this!

Well, here's my two cents...

I used to lay in bed at night, unable to sleep because my feet itched so much. What finally stopped it was Olay Quench lotion. I've been using it for about four years now, every day, and I can't imagine switching.

Okay, here's my solution to dry, itchy winter skin. I've been told that moisturizers block not only moisture leaving your skin, but also entering your skin - so be sure to apply moisturizer when you are fully hydrated - like when you are still wet from the shower. I keep a pump-bottle of Aveeno fragrance free daily moisturizing lotion in the shower and pump a big dollop on my hand while still wet. It is amazing how far the lotion goes on wet skin. I rub this ALL OVER my body. I find Aveeno a wonderful lotion that doesn't end up oily and is odorless.

When I'm really itchy, I put a quarter-sized squirt of anti-itch 1% hydrocortisone cream in my palm before adding the lotion - mix this together and use as above. This has made a huge difference in my comfort level over the winter.

Dry skin, as you probably all know, is dry because it doesn't have enough water in it. The creams and oils work to keep the water from evaporating, but they rub off.

The water in skin? It comes from within--it's pulled up from deeper layers.

Drink more water--visit the bathroom more, because the kidneys don't care if your skin is dry.

On the other hand, take a warm bath with a cup of salt dissolved in it--any old salt, cheapest rock salt you can find--and the salt solution penetrates the dry layers with the water. That water may evaporate when lotions and cream get rubbed off, but the extra salt can't evaporate. It remains in the upper layers of skin. It will pull extra water up from deeper layers by the osmotic gradient.

This fixed my 74 year old mom's maddening dry skin that used to keep her awake even, despite lotions or creams. She hated it at first, because her soap wouldn't lather up good, but it brought her complete relief and soft winter skin for the first time in years. It saves her a fair amount of money, too. She still uses a good quality lotion (she happens to use Lubriderm) but the salt baths are what made the difference. I guess it's like a combination approach.