Dry Skin- Prevention and Moisturizing tips
My last post was about a blog I enjoy that features Essential oils uses in one of their series. I looked for blog posts on dry skin and I didn't find any so I thought I'd write one myself.
Dry skin is something we all encounter at some point. Some of us have dry skin more frequently than others.
In order to write this post intelligently, I spoke with the person that has the driest skin I know of. I figure if she doesn't know about dry skin no one does!
So some background. She is a massage therapist, and although the rest of her body is well moisturized, her hands are very dry. When I asked her about the disparity, she explained that since she uses lotion to massage people all day, her hands end up very dry.
Wait, I thought, wasn't lotion supposed to moisturize? So here was her answer.
1. The best moisurizer is made by your body by way of your natural oils.
2. Lotion usually has alcohol in it, and this will dry your skin. (Stearyl, Cetyl, and Cetearyl, are somewhat ok depending on the form used, but any other alcohols are a no no.)
Her advice was to avoid getting rid of your body's natural oil in the first place. The soap you use being the first culprit. Make sure your soap doesn't get rid of your natural body oil. Whether its dry skin on face, hands, or somewhere else, investing in a good soap that doesn't dry out your skin is a must!
As many of you who have read my previous posts know, I'm all for organic. In this case, organic body soap. My favorites are organic oatmeal soap bars, organic lavender soap bars, organic woodspice soap bars, organic patchouli soap bars, organic tea tree soap bars, and aromatherapy foaming soaps that are made from organic Castile soap. Organic Castile soap is wonderful for your skin. Some people have a natural allergy to the latex found in most Shea butter products, and Castile soap doesn't have those issues. Don't get me wrong, I love Shea butter as much as the next woman, but some people have issues with it. Oh, and if you are going to buy something with Shea butter in it, make sure its fair trade Shea butter so that the farmers who actually make it are actually compensated for their hard work!
Finally, some people overlook a good organic body oil, or organic massage oil to supplement their natural body oil. I have found that the good quality body oils really moisturize well and they absorb very fast. If yours doesn't or leaves your with oil stains on everything, it's time to switch products.
I hope this helps! Good luck with your skin.