Friday, November 30, 2012

alligator skin*

(*thank you to my good friend becca for saying her hands felt like alligator skin because they were so dry. credit to you for titling my post.)

so, one of the perks of diabetes is dry skin. yippee! during the summer it's not much of an issue for me, but when the temperatures start dropping this time of year, it's torture.

my legs having been itching like crazy, because of, you guessed it! dry skin. and that's really the only dry skin issue, my legs! lotion is the itch relief for me. the problem i'm having ... which lotion is the best? i've tried multiple brands and types, and i'm wondering what works for everyone else.

here's what i've been using lately.


A: equate intense therapy dry skin lotion. the bottle says: 'skin treatment for severely dry skin. gently exfoliates rough, flaky skin to smooth and soften. dermatologist tested.' 

well that's lovely, except my issue with this lotion: it's THICK. it is such a thick lotion, it's like paste on your skin. i'm sure that's no big deal to plenty of people (and some people probably think i'm nuts), but ugh, i feel slimy for a few minutes after putting it on my legs. eww. i mean, it works really well, but i'd like something that works really well without the eww factor. OH - a perk! the bottle lasts FOREVER.

B: eucerin daily protection moisturizing body lotion. the bottle says: 'moisturizes and helps protect against daily UV exposure that can lead to sunburn.'  that's a free sample i got in the mail. SCORE!

umm... ok well clearly i've never read the bottle closely before. i'm not going for sunblock here. my legs aren't really seeing the light of day in the winter. i do like this one, it's not thick and i feel like it's pretty moisturizing, the issue for me is, a few hours later, my legs feel dry and itchy again.

C. four points by sheratin 'clean' lotion - the back of the bottle says 'CLEAN.' really big.

so, this is one of those hotel lotions that i got about a month ago, and i pretty much finished it off but it was AWESOME. smells good, not slimy, moisturizing ... but the same issue, a few hours after i use it, dry itchy legs again. so it's a good thing i'm not able to buy it because it doesn't really do anything special. (yes i googled to see if you can buy it)

so tell me, what lotion is your favorite? are there any out there that aren't really thick (ya know, like the diabetic foot cream that is totally thick but totally works - yeah i don't like those either) that are really moisturizing?

you don't have to have diabetes to contribute! everyone needs a good moisturizer, especially when it's freezing outside. (but of course not freezing here, because we're expecting 60s and 70s in the next week. really december?)

7 comments:

  1. It sounds weird but I swear by foot creams for dry leg skin. Ahava is a favorite but their stuff is pricy since it's an import. http://www.ahavaus.com/dermud-intensive-foot-cream

    The foot creams tend to be oilier but they stay on and soak in better. :) - I put it on at night so i don't have to feel the oily during the day!

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  2. It's expensive, but Jafra makes a line of lotions called Royal Jelly. They are amazing :)

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  3. I ADORE St. Ives Naturally Soothing Oatmeal and Shea Butter lotion. I've been using it for years and will probably not buy anything else until they go out of business or something. Not greasy at all (which I can't stand) and I rarely have to apply it again. Maybe after a super hot shower in winter, but yeah. Love it! I'll drop off a tester bottle or something for you, if you want to try it.

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  4. I don't have good advice - I itch all winter long, even in Florida. I do remember a few years ago (yes, I store RANDOM facts) that Kerri posted about a certain lotion causing her to have higher BG results if there was residue on her hands. But washing your hands would dry them out more... vicious cycle...

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  5. Wow, I am definitely going to keep an eye on this post and see what recommendations come up. Over the past two years, my skin - particularly my hands - have been really drying and cracking. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older (38), because of diabetes, or because two years ago I moved into a house with forced-hot-air heat (rather than baseboard), but this drives me nuts. I hate the slimy stuff that goes on your hands and just stays there, and also (being a guy) I dislike the stuff with pretty scents...

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  6. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing lotion works pretty well for me. One of the only lotions that helps my itchy legs. Also helps a lot when my hands get dry and cracked in the winter.

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  7. Has anyone tried virgin coconut oil?

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