Okay, I should be asleep an hour ago, but I had one last question.
What is the best natural skin moisturizer? I'm looking for something along the lines of ONE ingredient, not a commercial product with >10 ingredients (even if all the ingredients are "natural").
Now that the weather is super dry, and now that I'm washing my hands frequently from making veggie juices (I have to wash all the veggies, and then wash the juicer a few times a day), my hands are constantly irritated and the skin is cracking. Also I seem to be accidentally cutting my hands every day now, and I think the cuts heal much slower when the skin is so dry.
Is there like a single kind of oil which is considered the best for the skin? Is there something that gets absorbed faster, leaves less residue, and helps the skin to heal?
Thanks for the info!
P.S. I have to try to remember to update the juicing thread soon. I LOVE my new juicer!!!!
Posted by Tammy N. (Member # 26835) on :
Organic coconut oil:) Once it soaks in, it doesn't feel greasy.
Also can use organic olive oil.
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
And you could use mashed up, salted kale chips to exfoliate!
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
Rose Hip Seed Oil is excellent for dry skin!
Posted by hopeful4 (Member # 8486) on :
Emu oil. Healing, moisturizing, absorbs well, good for burns, too.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Oddly enough, dairy butter (organic) is excellent for the skin - it is rich in Vitamin A.
When I was in College (very low humidity, cold most of the school year), I would rub some into the skin on my cracked & bleeding hands, put an old sock on each hand, and go to bed. By morning, no more cracked & bleeding hands and no greasy feel to my skin.
Coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, sesame oil are all good - have also heard good things about emu oil and shea butter. But I struggle to tolerate vegetable oils and am outright allergic to some (including olive & coconut), so that's why I have had better luck with dairy butter...
Posted by jlp38 (Member # 27221) on :
I second Tammy. Coconut oil! It soaks in quick for me but then again, I live in a very dry climate.
Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :
Essential Fatty Acids - lack of them will cause dry hands - dry everywhere. Find the combination that you test well for. It's got to come from the inside much more than from the outside. The brain needs it just as much as the hands.
Take care.
Posted by jlp38 (Member # 27221) on :
Lanolin is great. I've only ever thought of it as a breastfeeding product. Of course it would be good on the hands.
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
Aveeno is darn good. You can buy it at Costco, too.
It's only a "2" on the toxic scale at cosemeticsafetydatabase.com. Very few ingredients.
I noticed the off brands added parabens, though, so you have to buy the "brand"
Posted by kidsgotlyme (Member # 23691) on :
A mixture of olive oil and apple cider vinegar put into a spray bottle works well for the winter.
You kind of smell a little bit like a sweet pickle for a few minutes, but then the smell goes away.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I use all natural lotions from Whole Foods. My husband likes coconut oil, but it's not enough for me.
Posted by Marz (Member # 3446) on :
A woman in France who lived to 105 was always asked why she had such youthful skin. She said all she had ever used was olive oil.
Ive been using on my face for a couple of months and it is a wonderful moisturizer.
The jury is still out about the youthfulness part. But I'm not 105 YET.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. Today I'm ordering: Lanolin, Rose Hip Oil, and EMU oil from Amazon, according to your advices. I already have a lot of coconut oil and a lot of organic ghee.
I'll try comparing those 5 products, and maybe I'll even write a review here some day! I would've never thought to put ghee/butter on my hands, so that will be interesting.
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
If you put a filter on your kitchen faucet, it will remove the chlorine which is what makes skin dry out.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I have a whole house chlorine filter. The downside is, the toilet bowls get a ring of mold pretty quickly due to no chlorine. Minor problem though.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I'm not convinced that lanolin is good for the skin/body. Do a little research on that one.
PS to everyone... stay away from parabens.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
I forgot to mention earlier: I appreciate your advices about the omega 3's and the fish oils, and I think it's very relevant. But I'm already taking many grams of fish oil a day, so I don't think that's my issue.
Lou - that was a good point about the chlorine, and I think it's very relevant. Personally, I'm using well water so there's no chlorine in it.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: I'm not convinced that lanolin is good for the skin/body. Do a little research on that one.
PS to everyone... stay away from parabens.
Okay, thanks for the advice. I'll remove it from my order, and then I'll study it later. I think I already have enough new stuff to test out anyway! Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :
"But I'm already taking many grams of fish oil a day, so I don't think that's my issue"
You may wish to make sure you have no absorption problem. All EFA's are needed; that may be another thing to check into.
Take care.
Posted by Garden (Member # 31671) on :
Borage oil is Omega 6, not Omega 3, and is in some great skin care products (I use Shikai's lotion). Fish oil might not give you everything you need.
Posted by Harmony (Member # 32424) on :
Being German, I resort to what my great-grandmother used in Germany and it still works for me:
be warned that it does not absorb very well, so if you rub it in your face and go out, it better be Halloween because you will have the white cream in all skin wrinkles for more than 24 hours sometimes and look like a ghost
I use it when me fingers split at the nail bed, a couple of times a day, like a medication on the spot, let it sit for a while and then rub in, that usually heals it
by the way, I wonder if the dry hands - relly dry skin to the point of craking and dying off fast - is a Bart symptom... I get it periodically on only the fingers fed by the median nerve and recently had an episode of it on my heels, after the foot pain and tingling from Bart
my LLDM commented on the dry hands during my first apt exam but I forgot to ask why he thought they were important - there was so much going on....
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
That looks pretty good, right? I'm mostly on a veggie juice diet, so I figured I need an alternate source of complete fatty acids.
Posted by Fuel1212 (Member # 29312) on :
This is a great thread and perfect timing for some of us in the midwest.
Thanks James ... here's to soft silky hands my man!
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
Funny no one mentioned jojoba oil. For me, the best absorbable oil I ever tried.
For the lips though, the only thing that works like a miracle is COCOA butter. It is widely used in Brazil, I never buy anything else and still it tastes chocolate (no sugar)!!
Posted by kidsgotlyme (Member # 23691) on :
"I have a whole house chlorine filter. The downside is, the toilet bowls get a ring of mold pretty quickly due to no chlorine. Minor problem though."
I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY MY TOILET WAS DOING THIS! NOW I KNOW!
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Brussels - thanks. I just ordered some organic jojoba oil. I was about to get some cocoa butter also, but it seemed like too much work (because you have to heat it up and all that).
Fuel - no prob. I usually have big problems here in the winter. Other years I said I would just tough it out and hope my skin adapts, but then I would get bleeding knuckles every time I closed my fist! And this year I'm getting my hands wet more than ever, so they're especially dry. There's no way around it - I definitely need something. So with all of these new products, hopefully I'll be able to pick out a favorite! Posted by scorpiogirl (Member # 31907) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tammy N.: Organic coconut oil:) Once it soaks in, it doesn't feel greasy.
I second this!! The way I get around the greasiness when I use on my face is I would apply... then rinse off and pat dry! And it's a perfect amount of moisture for me! I LOVE it!! But when I use on the body I do not have to rinse.
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
I like the cocoa butter, too. Smells nice. Coconut oil is good, as well. Vitamin E oil can be useful.
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