Head To Toe Dry Skin Solutions

Manic:  Dry skin patches, eczema, damaged hair from swimming, dry brittle nails.  The dry skin issues can go on and on with allergy season and the dry dog days of summer that will arrive quickly now!

Managed:  Get ahead of these issues with some natural remedies with stuff you probably already have in your pantry as well as a few product picks that I think work great, so take a look…

This article appeared on Channel 3’s KTVK morning show, “Your Life A to Z” so if you saw it on the show, you can find more information here….

Our warm weather will be here quickly now and with that comes dry skin issues like eczema, dry damaged hair from swimming, dry heels, chapped lips and more.  So I’ve got product picks and natural remedies from head to toe to keep our body moisturized.  Get ahead of the dry skin and body issues now before the double digit dry temps hit.  So from head to toe, here we go…

Oatmeal Remedy for Eczema

Natural Remedy – Homemade Oatmeal Bath or you can buy the packets sold at the drug store, but if you want to save money and make it yourself for eczema sufferers, here is how you do it and this has worked great for my daughter when she has eczema breakouts.  Take 1 cup of oatmeal (can you use unflavored plain, quick oats or slow cooking) and blend oats into a very fine and consistent powder.  Use a blender or coffee grinder to do this. To test if oats are blended enough, stir 1 tablespoon of blended oats into a glass of warm water and if the consistency is sort of milky and silky, then the oats have readily absorbed the water and you can move forward adding to the bath.  Sprinkle blended oatmeal into the bath while the water is running and be sure to feel along the bottom of the tub to break up any clumps.  Soak in tub for about 15 to 20 minutes and pat dry with a towel rather than rubbing skin to give the oats the best skin absorption. Scalp

Natural Remedy – For dry scalp, try a natural remedy that has worked for several of my family members.  Simply massage a small amount of coconut oil into the scalp and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.  Then shampoo out.  It is worth trying this before buying dandruff shampoos because coconut oil is 100% natural and doesn’t contain the silicone, alcohol and other chemicals that some dry scalp shampoos may possess that can further irritate a sensitive scalp, so give this a try first.

 Hair

Natural Remedy – One great defense to guard against chlorine damage to hair brought by months of swimming is good ol’ H20.  Before getting in the pool, wet hair first with a hose or spray bottle.  Our hair acts like a sponge and quickly and fully absorbs all of those chlorine chemicals so if hair is already wet before entering the pool, it doesn’t absorb near as much.  I love this tip because it is so simple and water is something free and easy that you already have on hand.

 Face

Product Pick – If you are like me and you have dry skin on your face that is also sensitive and can get itchy, my long-time go to favorite product is First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Face Cream that I buy at Sephora, both at the mall location and at their convenient JC Penney inside store area.  I actually went off the product for a few months to try another high dollar department store cream that was double the price and my skin didn’t do as well.  So I’m back with this brand and the reason that I like this particular face cream is because it is a multi-purpose (hence the 5-in-1 name) product that has SPF 30, anti aging properties and it does not have parabens, sulfates or phthalates.  Living in Phoenix means being exposed to a lot of sun, so the zinc oxide included in the cream works well to reflect harmful ultraviolet rays away from my face.  I also dig the antioxidant booster that is comprised of licorice root, feverfew, and white tea that all work together to combat free-radical damage.  Finally I appreciate the complex of two natural botanical ingredients that prevent and reduce wrinkles by protecting younger collagen fibers from unwinding and becoming brittle.  Sells for $40 a bottle and a little bit goes a long way.

Natural Remedy – When washing your face, watch the water temperature.  Although it may feel good to put hot water on your face, the temperature should be tepid or lukewarm and then don’t rinse with super hot or super cold water because the extremes will dry out the already sensitive skin on the face.

Lips

Natural Remedy – Pat a little extra virgin olive oil on your lips.  You can also moisturize your lips at night by applying a thin layer of olive oil before you go to sleep.

Product Pick – Don’t forget to protect your lips because your kisser can get a sunburn, too.   I like Burt’s Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm with Passionfruit because it offers protection and moisturizes dry lips.

Hands

Product Pick for Her – When hands get dry they look aged and sometime the knuckles will bleed.  So it is important to remember to apply hand lotion after washing hands and consider using a hand balm.  I like Glowology Hand Balm because it is hypoallergenic and is made without parabens, sulfates, dyes, formaldehyde donors and other questionable ingredients.  Instead this soothing balm contains shea butter, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice and this formula softens and exfoliates, too.  Sells for $12 and is sold at the Glowology website where you can also get a list of Phoenix area stores that sell the line.

Product Pick for Him or Her – My poor husband suffers from really dry hands so I have been putting out Cetaphil.  He will use this one because it is lightweight and fragrance free and does a good job soothing really dry skin.

Natural Remedy – Clarified butter, also called Ghee is sold at Sprouts Farmers Market and works well on dry hands while it also soothes minor cuts and scratches.

Nails

Natural Remedy – Several rules of thumb (no pun intended) to protect your nails and to keep them healthy and moisturized.  Remember these tips this way…NAIL…N stands for never do the dishes without wearing gloves as that hot dish water will dry out your hands and your nails.  A stands for Always put hand lotion on your hands after washing.  I stands for Indulge yourself in a little nail massaging with olive oil.  Massaging your nails actually stimulates blood flow to your nails which helps them to grow and the olive oil moisturizes both the nails and the cuticles as well as the skin.  L stands for leave your nails out of it when you are tempted to use them as a tool.  I once had a really good nail tech tell me that nails are jewels, not tools  These tips have helped to strengthen my nails, I’m happy to report!

Body

Product Pick – Weleda Evening Primrose Age Revitalizing Body Oil works great if you apply it right after a bath or shower.  I especially like this product because it is a deeply moisturizing and firming oil and since I’m pushing 50 now, I like the firming word.  Weleda is a terrific line that has been around since 1921 and Weleda gets the true 100% certified natural label so you know that it is the real thing.  They also tell you what percentage of each product is organic and this particular one is 87% organic and vegan.  Plus the pleasant scent is made up of pure essential oils of magnolia and sandalwood.  The line is sold at Whole Foods stores or at the Weleda website.

Product Pick – Cetaphil Restoraderm Eczema Calming Body Wash – For Eczema sufferers, this is a good one because it is soap free, fragrance free, paraben free and is safe for babies and small children who have extra delicate skin.  It is also accepted by the National Eczema Association as a recommended product.

Feet

Natural Remedy – Honey.  I like to use a good raw organic brand.  I learned on livestrong.com that one cup of honey can be added to a gallon of warm water for a hydrating foot soak.  Simply soak your feet in this mixture for 15 minutes and the natural enzymes in the honey will help to repair dry feet by binding moisture to your skin.  Doing this also helps to improve circulation.

Product Pick – Weleda Foot Balm contains organic olive oil and refreshing essential oils to deodorize the feet as well as add moisture to your dry heels and to the entire foot.  Get it at Whole Foods or at the Weleda website

One Last Important Item – A Good Sunscreen

Living here in sunny Arizona requires sunscreen and with all of the debate about whether or not the chemicals in sunscreen is as damaging as a sunburn has me buying the best one that I can find.  The one that I approve of for my family is 100% certified natural and has 98% organic ingredients and that is the Badger line.  I buy the Badger Unscented Broad Spectrum SPF Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Cream at Sprouts Farmers Market. My favorite beauty product watchdog site called EWG Skin Deep (can be linked to at http://www.ewg.org/) highly recommends this brand due to the very low chemical content and approval of the ingredients that are used in this sunscreen such as Sunflower oil, Beeswax and more.

Did I miss any highly recommended dry body care products or home remedies that you love for your family?  If so, share in the comments section and remember to hydrate and drink plenty of water as we head into the breezy days of Spring and the fun times of summer.  Happy warm weather season!

Most of the products were purchased on my own and some were provided to me to test out and report on.  My opinions about my recommendations above are 100% my very own from my own trials with dry skin for myself and my family.