One of our biggest expenditures out here, aside from lift tickets and beer*, has been moisturizer. Living in the desert is tough on one's skin. Protection from the sun aside, it's just DRY and arms, legs, backs and bellies just ITCH. I keep catching H scratching his back on doorjambs; and my fingers and hands are just a disaster - the cuticles in shreds, and the backs of my hands looking ancient in direct light.
We've been trying everything: your basic Vaseline Intensive Care lotion; Lubriderm (and have just switched over to the version with SPF15 for everyday use); Udderly Smooth udder cream; Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with vitamin E; and Bag Balm for the really bad areas. My latest experiment is with pure virgin coconut oil, found in the cooking oils aisle of your local Whole Foods. It's a waxy solid to start, but melts into oil quickly and rubs right in. It's pretty good but it's light and doesn't have much staying power. The best combination is using both the coconut oil and the cocoa butter because then I smell delicious, like a Mounds bar.
So what do you current and former desert-dwellers recommend? What's your secret to not shriveling up and flaking away?
* A self-proclaimed beer snob for most of my beer-drinking life, I have started drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. Although I still prefer craft beer/microbrews, a really cold can of PBR is totally doable. It's also totally cheaper: a 30-pack of PBR cans is $14-16, which is the same price range as a 12-pack of Uinta Cutthroat pale ale. And I am nothing if not cheap. Oh, H and I still drink Utah micros when we go out, but at home, PBR is the house beer these days.
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The only tried-and-true method that worked for me was to moisturize from the inside out. Drink as much water as you can stand during the day, then drink more before bed. Beer absolutely counts toward this. :D
ReplyDeleteEat foods with omega-whatever-numbers-are-the-good-ones fatty acids! Salmon and avocados were my go-tos, but I think olive and coconut oils are good, too.
If your nostrils get cracking, which happened to me occasionally (but mostly in the winter; you're almost out of the woods there), dip a Q-tip in good ol' fashioned Vaseline goo, and swirl as necessary. Smells bad, but it kept my nose from bleeding.
Good luck!
That's interesting about from the inside out, Catherine. I know I don't drink enough water and am trying to be better about it, especially as we roll towards summertime; this just gives me another reason to stay on top of it. You'd think all the beer would be helping tho'! That's also a good tip re: fatty acidy foods. Thanks a bunch!
ReplyDeleteI swear by Gold Bond Ultimate healing skin therapy lotion with aloe. It's the only thing that heals my husband's dry, cracked knuckles in the winter.
ReplyDelete@Mrs. Mama - I haven't tried that yet ... but as we're almost out of the Lubriderm, I'll add it to the shopping list. Thanks for the tip - and thanks for stopping by and commenting!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Mama, that's one brand I haven't yet tried but since the Lubriderm's almost out, I'll add it to the shopping list. Thanks muchly for the tip ... and for commenting!
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