I'm so excited. I'm sort of a hick and live far from any real city. I'm going to Seattle this weekend and I'm going to a MAC counter! I'm so excited. I love MAC counters. We don't even have on in my state.

fiddler

So I get really dry skin in the winter. A friend of mine yesterday told me that after she showers she rubs baby oil all over herself. She said, after you turn the water off but before you dry yourself with a towel, while your skin is still wet, rub baby oil all over yourself and then dry off. I asked her if the baby oil just lays on your skin and then gets all over the towel and she said no. She said it's very wierd but the oil gets absorbed and the water just lays on your skin. She said it's the best thing for her dry skin in the winter. Anyone ever heard of this before? I think I'm going to try it.

I think my mom used to put baby oil on me when I was a kid. I think it works alright but personally I am a die hard Lush fan when it comes to moisturizers. They have a lot of great ones that people swear by like Dream Cream.

I'm with candycane girl on the LUSH products, and Dream Cream is my absolute very favorite item that they have, and its my go-to savior in the winter for dry skin. It has a light herbal scent - a little lavendery, and it is well worth the price - a little goes a long way!

Pugs, I've done the same thing, only with Neutrogena body oil (personally, I can't stand the smell of baby oil). I also continue to shave my legs in the winter -- the exfoliation plus the oil can halt the leg dandruff.

i tried the baby oil thing today and i can't believe the difference it made. i'm going to keep doing it for a week or two and see how my skin feels.

raisingirl - i'm going to have to try that neutrogena body oil. i bought baby oil that is just mineral oil, aloe and vitamin e. it does have fragrance but i kinda like the smell. it's very light. thinking of trying the lavender kind next time.

thanks for everyones responses.

Hey Dry Skin Winter Gals!
I say ditto on the baby oil, although if you can splurge, the Neutrogena is awesome and I alsways get asked about the scent - it's fantastic. Another way to go is to drop in your health food store - I buy sesame oil and there's a hawaiian oil that's name escapes me that's amazing. At night - Vaseline on the face - did you know Elizabeth Adren's 8 hour vream is almost 90% vaseline??? Why pay so much?! LOL

My skin is dry over all, but my elbows are so dry they just crack all the time. I've tried baby oil, I've tried vaseline,
I've tried moisturizer with aloe vera, jojoba, coconut, flax, I've tried lip balm, tiger balm, lavender balm, olive oil...
I've tried it all. They're still just as dry. Now I'm considering foot balm for cracked heels, and if that doesn't help,
then I'm at loss. IT HURTS! :-(

hey kayla, you might be thinking of tahitian monoi oil. it smells teh awesome, i love it.

coela, if you pop into the natural health thread and post about your problem chacha may give you a heads up about the nutritional issues around super dry skin. it's not so much what you put on it but what you put in you when skin gets that bad. i'm about to head over there myself, my eczema is making a reappearance though nowhere near as bad as yours!
i think there's something not great about mineral oil too, i'll check it out.

can't put it on your face, but i love the body butter from the body shop - talk about relief! for dry skin. the coconut is for VERY dry - i use it all over sometimes. ntm it smells like a big pina colada....mmmm.......

Coela, maybe try to find a lotion with emu oil in it? Emu oil is a kick-ass moisturizer. I've been using it pure on my face with great results. It's reputed to help with dry skin ailments, like eczema, psoriasis, etc. I've had these dry, red, itchy blotches on the back of my leg that just would not let up. Emu oil has lessened the itch considerably, and they're starting to fade.

i second the body shop body butter...mmmmmm....love me the coco butter one. mmmmm coco butter talk about moizurizing.

you know, i worked at the shop and i really, really want to like the products but... have you read the ingredients? i just can't do it.
(have you noticed the faint patchouli scent in the hemp butter? that makes me laugh.)

even worse is that fake body butter you can buy in the drug store. it doesn't even smell as good, n/m what's in it. ack.

i do love the body shop body butter too.... mango is my fave. and the lip butter also works wonders, especially in the winter. and anything burt's bees seems to dry me up, except their coconut foot stuff, that's pretty good.

Have you tried Aquaphor, Neutrogena's Norwegian formula hand cream, A & D ointment (try the baby care section) or Bag Balm (sold in square tins at drugstores)? Shea butter?

Try this: Take a pair of old socks and cut off the feet. Apply your unguent of choice at night, after showering if you shower at night, and slip on the footless socks over your elbows. Put on your sleep garment of choice and toddle off to dreamland. This should help. I slip on old socks over my vaseline-coated hands and sleep with them on, when they are super dry. My husband laughs, but he loves how soft my hands are.

Seconding the oil application after showering - I spray on Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil all year 'round. Smells great, and keeps bugs away in the summertime, too!

Coela, I feel for ya darlin', I was just in the hospital a week ago and the air in there turns my skin to sandpaper. So until I have time to get me to the salon for a pedicure (that's my treat when the term is over and exams are marked!) I'm using a nice thick thick cream with shea butter (THE best for dry, cracking skin) and wearing socks 24/7. Change the socks morning and night, of course, but make sure they're plain cotton socks and keep the feet WARM. The foot-less sock idea for dry elbows sounds perfect too, I may just give that a try. Other good brands: Burt's Bees, J/A/S/O/N/D, Glysomed, Spectro, or take a trip to the local natural foods store to see what they keep in stock. All else fails: Vaseline, baby. It wouldn't still be around if it didn't have some magic to it.

it looks like this has come up before but i can't find exactly where. anyway, lately i am loving the mychelle products. i've used cranberry mud mask, cranberry cleanser, skin clearing serum, pumpkin peel, fruit fiesta peel, and enzyme scrub. all were great. got my bonus and have on order: pumpkin renew cream, C serum, and splash! (which, from the ingredients, should act like an herbal Tendskin and is cheaper than Kalo).

i tend to like to make things if they are simple enough but a lot of the mychelle products use some rare ingredients (like totarol) and it comes out to be easier to just buy it from them.

found them cheap (and free shipping for orders over a certain size) at:
http://www.n101.com/

also, here is a recipe for body butter (very simple...2 ingredients + scent):
http://www.gracefruit.com/scripts/openExtra.asp?extra=19

could probably sub cocoa butter if you prefer.

I just got the Aztec clay masque at Whole Foods and will be trying it today - I've been pampering myself. I started using Mineral make-up, but yesterday I realized that it turned my face completely orange! I have to go get a lighter shade because my skin is fair. I also got new Aveeno clear complexion moisturizer to even my skin tone and it seems to work pretty well, also smells great.

I'm curious - what are your top all-time skin-care items? Mine are camellia oil (for scars and stretch marks), Biore pore-unclogging scrub (leaves my skin tingly), Biore strips, tea tree oil for acne, cocoa butter for my lips, and Nivea cream for my feet and elbows. This Aveeno soy stuff is also pretty high up there it's better quality than the cheap stuff I was buying.

i LOVE weleda skin food. my skin is super dry and i get weird rash-y dry skin in the winter and i use skin food on it and it goes away, and i even use it on my lips when they get chapped. i just wish i could find something cheaper that i wasn't totally allergic to.

and i HATE that for christmas i got a bath and body works gift box. i wish i could use that stuff but my skin reacts weirdly to it....

Marianita - I'm totally with you on the Bath & Body Works stuff - makes me VERY rashy, and I always get at least two gift sets for Xmas. But, even if I don't have receipts, they've been good about taking stuff back, when I explain that I'm allergic to their products, and then I exchange for candles or a bathrobe or whatever.

My top five products:
1. Cosmetic Lad moisturizer by LUSH
2. Aztec Clay Mask
3. Rosehip Seed oil (for redness & scars)
4. Dream Cream by LUSH
5. Apricot Scrub by St. Ives

I too get rashes easily. They itch so bad.

My favorite products:
1. Nivea body lotion
2. Cetaphil bar soap for the face
3. Oil of Olay day lotion
4. Clinique All About Eyes
5. Dove soap for the body
6. Neutragena anti-stress acne face scrub

This: http://www.smartskincare.com/ is an excellent website for reviewing beauty and skincare products. I have discovered so many great products here and I check it before I buy something just to make sure I don't waste my money.

My favorite products for cleansing are Apricot Scrub by St. Ives and Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleansing Pads. They work best for me. And I have tried EVERYTHING from high end to low end and always come back to these two for cleansing.

Thanks!!

thanks also. i'll forward that link to a couple of friends who were just yesterday talking about after-30 acne woes.

blanchedeveraux - a friend of mine just bought this stuff: Benefit Benetint. It's pretty cool stuff. Looks very natural. I wanted to buy it as well but didn't have the money at the time. Maybe I'll treat myself closer to my birthday.

Pugs

i dislike loreal (dirty owned-by-nestle buggers ) but they used to make a gel blush called translucide that works on cheeks and lips for a nice fresh face glow. i have a bunch i bought at a store closing sale for a buck a tube. you want one? i can send it with your fat lady clothes when i get home.

i love sephora. too bad its so bad expensive.
and i want some benetint too, pugs.
i've been telling myself i'm gonna
buy it for the last 2 years now!
ebay??

Benetint is fabulous but I'm a Benefit whore .

Be careful though if you're accident-prone/apply make up hurriedly as there's no way it would come out if you spilled it. I have an even harder time as I have the pocket pal, which is benetint and gloss in the same tube (v handy!)

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/brow...AUNE?id=DR-1007

I love this soap

I agree, Dr. Bronner's soaps rock! Plus they clean everything - hair, body, baby, dog, kitchen counter, floor, car....Can't beat it.

i cant say it enough, i totally love LUSH products. i use herbalism face wash/mask/scrub and it is amazing! their bath bombs are so yummy too, and make your skin so soft.

not to sound like an ad here

Bump.

So, speaking of Lush, have any of you used Angels on Bare Skin lately? I got a sample from them, used it for a week, and I'm kind of not thrilled about its consistency and pinching off a bit of it, working it into a paste in the palm of my hand with a bit of water, and then smearing it on my face. No matter how little I used (because at first I thought I was using too much), it just sort of flaked off my face as I rubbed it in. What's the point of that? Did I just get an especially dry sample or is this how it always is? Anyone have any tips? I might just go back to Coalface.

I've never used Angels on Bare Skin but apparently they have a new facial soap coming out called Dark Angels or something and it's supposed to be a combo of Angels and Coalface. I might try it out.

My absolute favourite skincare product appears to have been discontinued and I'm having trouble finding something that compares. It was the Aveeno oatmeal complexion bar - not the moisturizing oatmeal bar, which is still available, and not the new complexion bar, which is a standard, perfumey, chemically, drying soap that my outrageously sensitive skin hates. The one I want was quite oatmealy and had a silty texture - not scrubby, but not too slippery - and was completely scentless and gentle. The oatmeal did the work, not the soap, so it dried out my blackheads and smoothed out my skin without overdrying it or overwhelming it with chemically soapy stuff. I have never had better skin than I did when I had that soap, and I was incredibly dismayed when I discovered I couldn't get it anymore. I've tried some of Aveeno's other products, but it appears that they've been bought out by a company that's more about marketable cosmetic products than gentle stuff for unfortunate people like me who break out in a rash at the touch of soap. I've been using the St. Ives apricot scrub, which is fantastic, but still too strong for me, and my skin is getting rough and blackheady. I'm so fed up now I'm thinking of making my own special soap. Suggestions?

CCG, I also got a sample of Dark Angels. It is supposed to be good for my type of skin, but HOLY MOTHER OF COD does it make a gigantic black mess. You've been warned.

I'm curious about the new Dark Angels stuff. I think I'll have to get a sample when I go to Chicago in a couple weeks. Other than the mess, how does it feel? I use Coalface now and it works pretty well for me.

It's coarser than Coalface, exfoliates more (a little too much -- personally, I don't think I could use it every day because it's a little rough), but it is BLACK BLACK BLACK. I don't like to have to clean up the sink and the counter after washing my face, so I threw out the sample after using it a couple of times. Try it and let us know what you think!

Well, you are not really supposed to rub it into your skin. You just roll the stuff back and forth to massage the skin and gently exfoilate your skin. Dr. Hauschka suggests a press and roll technique for your skin. Scrubbing or rubbing aggravates the skin. The Angel stuff did have a tougher, courser texture to me even with water. But, if you don't like the texture of the Angel stuff than you might want to go back to Coalface.

Point taken. I guess I didn't really mean rub as in the same vigorous motions for rubbing out a stain.

I didn't like my sample of Angels, it just felt wrong.

I liked Aquamarina for most of the year, but used Babyface/Sweet Japanese Girl in the winter when it was mad dry. I liked Fresh Farmacy, too. Right now I'm using the Ocean Salt. Vodka in the shower!

You Snap the Whip is also murder on the shower. Pinky purple stuff everywhere!

I love Lush, but their habit of discontinuing things pisses me off. I am a dedicated Skinny Dip fan, but it only comes in butter creme now. I want my shower gel back!

I do my laundry with Dr. Bronner's. I do a lot of shit with it now that I think about it.

*runs into thread at mere mention of LUSH!* SQUEEEEE!

You know I am a whore for those black tubs! I love Ocean Salt, though it does make me want to drink margaritas (then again, when DON'T I want to drink margaritas)?! I will say that Ocean Salt is the only product that I absolutely don't like the UK version - it's really different, not as scrubby with bigger chunks of salt, and no pretty blue swirl on top. I've been doing most of my Lushing through UK mailorder - so much cheaper, esp. now that there's a cheaper shipping option for packages under 2Kg.

I haven't been washing my face with Lush stuff lately, though. Just been using a lemon-castille soap wash - seems to work fine. I would be afraid of Dark Angels - You Snap the Whip is messymessymessy - I don't need anything else mucking up my sink/shower!

I'm glad to know I'm not the only Lushie around! Unfortunately, there facial cleansers don't do a lot for me. In fact I think Fresh Farmacy actually made my skin worse. However, I might need to actually go back to a dermatologist to actually get my skin into good shape. But I enjoyed washing my face with Coalface so I might try Dark Angels.

I don't mind the mess from some of the dark Lush products. Usually I can rinse it all away plus I clean my bathtub often so it's no big deal.

Okay, here's the thing. I love that Lush advertises itself as making fresh handmade products. HOWEVER, looking at their facial cleansers, I see that Angels is the ONLY ONE that doesn't contain sodium lauryl sulfate.** (Coalface has it, too, which is the one I'm leaning towards right now, even though I'm interested in eventually cutting that stuff out of the products I use.) That annoys me. So maybe no Lush for me after I'm done with what I've got.

Turbo, does your facial cleanser contain sodium lauryl sulfate? Can you please tell me the brand? I was at Whole Foods recently and I might just switch to Jason products because I think most of their stuff doesn't contain parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate and all that junk.

CCG, you're a better person than I am. Cleaning the bathtub ranks high on the list of chores I hate to do, right along with mopping the floors, so I usually put those two things off for as long as possible.

**ETA: I also meant to say that while other Lush facial cleansers may not have sodium lauryl sulfate, they do have perfume listed as an ingredient, and I don't want perfume, either.

Cool to hear that you are going SLS free in your beauty products, raisin. I've gone that route with my hair care products (shampoo and styling products). My hair has never looked healthier. As for skincare products, well, I use pricer stuff like Dr. Harushka because I don't get any reactions from this stuff. I'm sure there are other products available at Whole Foods. Like, AP, I use Dr. Bronner's for my body. There seems to be alot of lotions available now that are paraben free. I was doing it old school for awhile, just using jojoba oil on my body. My skin was supersupple. In all my research of treating skin (I found the Dr. Harushka site helpful), you only need cleanser for nighttime after a day of wear and tear on your face. In the morning, you can just use some water or toner in the morning to freshen up your skin.

Gosh, I can talk about beauty products for days. I've been a product whore since my teens.

Ah, I love that this thread has been revived! Like Star, I love me some product.

Raisin I use this lemon wash from Mountain Rose Herbs, and I love it. It's a simple castille based soap, no SLS, and it's lovely and gentle. I'm sure Dr. Bronner has something pretty similar. Mountain Rose has really nice products, and reasonably priced. I also adore their herbal facial steam, and I use their Wild Rose Oil for moisturizer at night. Their shampoos and body washes are nice too. I also like the Jason stuff too, and it's nice that you can get them at WF.

Thanks, Turbo! I am going to look for the lemon wash.

Until midnight tonight Lush is offering free shipping on orders of $80 or more to the US of A. Use product code USFREEJULY09.

Turbo, do you order it directly from the company? I couldn't find it at WF. I'm thinking of taking the easy way out (for now, because of circumstances) and getting something available at WF. I'm not in a position right now with a lot of free time to go around and find small health food/organic stores, unfortunately.

Yep, Raisin - I buy the lemon facewash directly from Mountain Rose Herbs...I also love their facial steam and lavender body wash, too. But really, it's just a simple castille soap base, with a bit of lemon added, and I would think that one of the Dr. Bronner's varieties that you can get at WF would be pretty much the same thing. I just order from Mountain Rose, as I order some other things from them as well.