What are some good things to do for REALLY dry skin?

[SnowStar]

This is more of a question I am asking because my boyfriend has perpetually dry skin from the acne meds he takes (Acutane) and it really bugs him. He can't stop taking the meds, that's not an option, but I was wondering if any of you wonderful people had any ideas that I could send on in his direction (heck, I could use them too...my hands are always dry). Getting into a habit of putting on handlotion a lot works to an extent, but usually not too much.

Just thought I'd ask and see if any of you knew any good remedies.

[Lavender]

In many of the commercially-made hand lotions, alcohol is a prime ingredient. It's so you think it's being absorbed quickly into your skin when it's just the alcohol evaporating. Would making your own salve or lotion be an alternative for you? It's not that hard. If you don't want to do that, try finding a natural lotion at a health food store. Cocoa butter, shea butter, aloe, evening primrose oil (both taken in capsule form & applied on skin), avacado oil are all excellent for dry skin. Shea butter has a natural SPF of 4 so it give you a bit of sun protection as well. There's lots of other oils & such. Flax seed oil taken internally is another good one. Also hemp oil. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to check to make sure they won't react with his medication first.

Also, a lot of commercially-made soaps can be drying to your skin. Try using a pure castile soap - that's a soap make from pure olive oil. It's gentle enough to use on babies.

[Sunday's Child]

Yes, Cocoa butter is very good. I used it alot on my stomach when I was with child and it helped me from getting stretch marks.
What are you doing internally? Enough water, getting your vitamins? Yes, mother..
When we moved to New Mexico from Florida, we really dried up. Skin so soft from Avon really helped me out.Although, I prefer to use natural products, I do like skin so soft, too.I don't know if you can get your boyfriend to use skin so soft though, ha ha.

[Lavender]

Also, I know a lot of people that swears by Avon's skin so soft as a mosquito repellent. :p

[Sunday's Child]

Yeah, I'm one of those people that uses skin so soft when I work in the garden, it keeps away all kinds of little pests.

[Fawn]

Eat a variety of oily fish and sunlight--yes sulight!! Also try the tried and true tree oil!!

[BrigitCayenne]

My friend says baby oil works well but I've never tried it so i don't know if it works

[idusty88]

Don't use baby oil. It's mineral oil (petroleum product) and fragrance. It doesn't add moisture to the skin or heal (in fact, when exposed to sunlight it increases the risk of skin cancer), it is just a water impermeable layer which can keep your skin's natural moisture from evaporating, so in that sense it works. But if your skin is dry you want to do more than hold moisture in, you want to hydrate it from without. A good lotion can do this. Most commercial lotions are mainly mineral oil, water and alcohol. No benefit to be had there. The point Wildchild made about making your own or getting one from a health food store is very good. I use Beauty Without Cruelty brand hand and body lotion, and Kiss My Face Olive and Aloe moisturizer.
They contain stuff like:
The Bw/oC - infusions of camomile, rosemary, balm mint, horsetail, althea, yarrow, sage, coltsfoot, wild thyme; and aloe, glycerin, sorbitol, kukui nut oil, vitamins, jojob oil, and shea butter.

The Kiss My Face - glycerin, almond oil, olive oil, aloe, lecitin, vitamins, and extracts of chamomile, marigold, sage, yarrow, orange blossoms, lavendar, fennel, and elder flowers.

[Myst]

Make sure he applies moisturizer while his skin is still moist from a shower or face wash - it will help keep the moisture in. He may try cocoa butter, aloe, and the like but this may not be good for his already acne-problematic skin. You might check the section of the drug store for "old lady moisturizers" to stop aging and wrinkles - these will be the richest, and having vitamins in them helps. Don't use "teen" type moisturizers, which will probably include ingredients to get rid of oil and won't be rich enough. Get him to ask his doc - the doc will know the best stuff because he's probably seen many people who need something to compensate for the accutane.