Semi OT - Suddenly dry skinned in cold weather - YouLookFab Forum

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Semi OT - Suddenly dry skinned in cold weather

Kari

Veteran

As I've mentioned previously here, I have always had oily skin but recently developed more combination/sensitive skin that is prone to eczema in cold weather. Well, between the sudden below freezing temperatures in the Seattle area, atypically dry climate, plus all of the dry hot air we are pumping into the house, my skin is FREAKING OUT. We're talking all-over itchy, flaky skin, cracked and bleeding lips and cuticles, eczema on my knuckles, and healed pimples on my face that suddenly split and bleed when I walk outdoors.
Aaand it's still somehow oily underneath all that.

Some of you in the area, such as Angie, have even dryer & more sensitive skin than I do. How are you dealing with it? I'm open to new ideas.

(I am smearing lotion and shea butter on my skin and keeping lip balm handy. My mom is dealing with the same thing and has been using olive oil and vaseline.)

General

22 replies

Latest reply was from Kate

crazyone

Veteran

Kari, it may not be a worthy investment, given how Seattle's climate usually is, but using a humidifier at night helps a lot.

MNsara

Veteran

I don't have a great moisturizer recommendation, but I would caution about the Vaseline - it is a petroleum product and I don't think most facial skin will do well with it. . .
Kari - do you think you are developing skin reactions/sensitivities/allergies? If so, those often come from stress or hormones. . .

The humidifier recommendation is good - if there are allergies just be sure you can wash out the filter.

Kate

Veteran

Do you have a "heavy" moisturizer? I put aveeno's oatmeal lotion on my skin (including my face) when it's really dry, and it works great. I just slather it on at night, and in the morning my skin is transformed.

edit: I have super sensitive (and allergic to most sunscreens), combination skin, early rosacea, and have been seeing a dermatologist for 10+ years. I realize my "credentials" matter when it comes to skin advice.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Get a humidifier for your bedroom...

Ljubica

Urea based cream helps a lot.

April

Veteran

I use Eucerin -- lotion with SPF in warm weather, "anti-wrinkle" heavier cream in a jar at night and in the cold weather. No perfumes, good for sensitive skin, cream is very rich.

celia

Veteran

You have great advice so far . Here's my 2 ct.
This may sound like a very silly advice but it's important.Drink double the water that you usually would, no matter what lotion you use if you don't ingest enough liquids your skin will suffer.
It can also be lack of some vitamines, I remember you saying that you had to take some in winter.
Also, as MNsara was saying it might be some changes in your body that is doing that to your skin. I would totally go to the doctor, see if there is some hormonal changes and then adjust your skin care to it.
Hope you feel better soon.

Anonymous

Kari - I am undergoing treatment for cystic acne. The medicine I'm taking has given me similar side effects. I have tried a myriad of things, some have worked better than others. I have two more months to go... I can't wait!

Aquaphor had worked wonders for any eczema or dry patches in my arms, hands and elbows. It also works very well for dry lips.You can also put a bit of cortisone cream for a quick fix. Be aware that this should be used very sporadically.

My dermatologist recommended I switched to Aveeno products of all things. The crazy thing is that I was so accustomed to spending hundreds on skin care products and the cheapest things seem to be working so well.

The best one of all: I had the best results by using Dove soap bar for showering followed by lubriderm cream (oatmeal) . Again, the simplest, cheapest products seem to be doing the trick.

I hope you find some of this information useful and that you feel better soon!

MsMary

Veteran

I had dry skin all my life and never found a lotion that really helped. The thing that has been absolutely life-changing for me has been a salt scrub. I make it myself and it makes my skin baby soft with no more flakes!

It's made of Epsom salt and sweet almond oil. You can add a few drops of scented oil and some soap colorant if you want to get fancy. Mix the salt and the oil until you are happy with the texture -- I think I do maybe 4 parts salt to one part oil. I basically just fill a mixing bowl with salt and add dollops of oil until I'm happy with it, then add a few drops each of essential oils for fragrance, and soap colorant. The KitchenAid stand mixer will mix it up in no time! I sometimes throw in a handful of medium or coarse sea salt for a little textural interest -- not too much, though, because it can scratch!

I've given this as gifts and people love it. I put it in clear acrylic Mason jars that I get here: http://www.pvsoap.com/bottles.asp and I tie a ribbon around it with a little tag that says:

"MaryK's Miraculous Salt Scrub

"While still in the shower, massage all over your body and wash off with or without soap for super-soft skin.

"Ingredients: Epsom salts, sea salt, sweet almond oil, essential oils, and soap colorant."

Sorry this turned out so long, but this remedy has been amazing for me and I thought I'd share the whole story!

Kari

Veteran

Thank you for all of the great ideas! My mom also suggested a "cheap" version of a thermometer - just leave a pot of water boiling on the stove when I have the heat on to spread some moisture into the air.

To clarify, I'm fairly sure that the change of my skin from oily to oily + combination is hormonal, and during most of the year I've been able to manage it pretty well with the products I'm using. But it really goes nuts during winter when we have extremely cold and dry weather, and suddenly it's not just the skin on my face that is problematic - I end up with flaky, itchy skin all over my body.

I have never tried Aveeno before. Thanks Kate and Zapotee for suggesting the oatmeal mositurizer - I'll give it a shot! Always appreciate having a moisturizer that is safe to use on my face. Eucerin & Aquaphor are great products too - I've never heard of Urea cream, so I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Celia, I do indeed need to take vitamin D during winter, and actually I really need to restock my supply. It's a pretty common problem for those of us in the Pacific Northwest - since most of the year our skies are so gray and overcast, we don't get enough sunlight and are pretty much uniformly low on D.

Yes, I'm definitely trying to keep hydrated! It makes such a big difference.

Thanks for all of the great ideas - and happy Thanksgiving!

Kari

Veteran

MaryK, your salt scrub sounds HEAVENLY. I have a pretty similar oil & salt scrub that I love to use on my legs before shaving. What a sweet gift! Thank you for the idea.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Don't use soap, Kari. Also, have you been to the dermie? It's worth it.

Maya

Veteran

I have the wonderful combo of oily skin on my face and dry skin on my body so this topic definitely interests me. I have been itching like mad and probably nearly tore my skin off last night while trying to sleep Thanks for asking Kari. On that note, I sprayed some rosewater and glycerin on my dry, itchy legs and it seemed to calm them down a lot. I also keep a bottle in my bag so I'm not scratching myself at work all day. It really does help, and smells nice too. The only downside is that it's sort of a band-aid, emergency solution rather than a long term fix.

http://www.amazon.com/Rosewate.....B0011DL8T2

Angie, when you say don't use soap, what do you mean? Sorry if I sound dumb. Do you replace it with something else or forgo it all together? I'm thinking of trying a low sulfate or sulfate-free cleanser, since I have opted for a low sulfate shampoo anyway. I'm not sure if that's what you mean?

My health insurance won't kick in until next year, so no dermie for me until then.

Kari

Veteran

Angie, I haven't been to the derm in a while. For the most part, though, our plan/medication has been successful except when the climate suddenly shifts like this.

Have any of you with sensitive skin ever used CeraVe cleanser or lotion? My derm suggested it when eczema acts up on my hands. She gave me some samples a while ago that worked very well. I need to buy a big bottle to keep on hand for times like this. I swear that CeraVe used to make a hydrating hand soap too, but can't find any online.

Maya, that rosewater spray sounds FANTASTIC. Actually, often a short term solution is what I'm looking for - anything to stop the sudden onset of itching!

catgirl

Veteran

Coming from a family with every skin issue imaginable: Eucerin, Cetaphhil, Aquaphor, Aveeno... all good for eczema and psoriasis. Unscented lotion only. Vaseline on hands and feet at night with cotton gloves and socks. Do not "mist" durng the day unless you put lotion on right after. No soap - I use the Neutrogena shower gel instead. No scalding showers (I break this rule daily!). Drink a ton of water. Don't shower every day if you can handle that. I put Vitamin E oil on my face at night too.

Good luck!

Anonymous

I am not sure about the soap issue, Maya. My dermatologist recomended Dove unscented, that is all I know. Not using a soap based product is completely out of the question for me, I would not feel clean otherwise. That might be why she is OK with me using Dove?

Ljubica

Kari, urea is an ingredient which is normally present in our body and which is great for softening and moisturizing our skin. Eucerin is one of the most famous brands having a range of products based on urea, but I use a cheaper version, which is not sold in the USA.
This is a link with some info on urea:

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/urea-cream.html

Vix

Veteran

In addition to what every one else has suggested (esp the internal hydration!), you may try ingesting/increasing EFA (fish oil or flaxseed oil). Gagging down a teaspoon of the liquid can be the equivalent of 10+ capsules, so I do the former.

This may help reduce internal inflammation (of which the eczema is a symptom) and keep all your membranes more pliable.

I agree that gentle exfoliation is needed (an aspirin crushed and mixed with honey is one such option I like).

I'm also dittoing that moisturizing with unscented or essential-oil based lotion is the way to go. Artificial fragrances trigger skin/allergy stuff for me, but adding EO to unscented products seems to be a neutral or positive. Lavender, rose, calendula, chamomile, and carrot oil are all reputed to be good for skin problems.

[I used to use Cetaphil lotion, but a few years ago I switched to a super-rich unscented -- to which I add rose oil -- and saw a big improvement...oily areas got less oily while dry areas got less dry. It's $1/ounce (a bit more in the small sizes) and I slather it on face/body. They also have lotions that incorporate shea and avocado.]

http://store.escentialonline.c.....-c745.aspx

Good luck to all the itchy dry folk!

Scarlet

Veteran

Regarding the soap question, my dermatologist suggest I only use soap in the "essential area" which she suggested by hand gestures. (This made me giggle.) Anyway I think we covered those essential areas in Angie's recent hygiene posts.

Kate

Veteran

I avoid soap - I use a non-soap facial cleaner (purpose), and only use soap on my "essential area" and armpits, and of course on my hands throughout the day.

cciele

Veteran

Thanks for starting the thread, Kari! If you don't mind me tagging onto your thread I've also been experiencing dry skin issues with this recent cold spell in California.

I've been taking notes from you experienced posters regarding lotions and soaps. However, I'm also having a problem with major scalp flakiness (yuck). Any suggestions regarding what to do to eliminate this problem? Thanks!

Kate

Veteran

I use Neutrogena t-gel shampoo (a couple times a week or less as needed) for scalp flakiness.

I just get it at Safeway, but it's also available online, and there are a lot of reviews at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Neutroge.....B000052XZQ