Hopefully you’ve made it out of the shower without stripping your skin of its natural moisture. Now, seal in the moisture with a good cream or lotion.

While your skin is still damp is the ideal time to apply a moisturizer. Don't limit yourself to only applying lotion after showering, though. If your skin feels dry at other times during the day, feel free to apply more moisture! In my case, I shower at night, then apply a fairly heavy cream.

By morning, my skin tends to be a little dry again, so I moisturize again, this time with a lighter lotion (because I don’t wear perfume, I take this opportunity to use a great-smelling lotion that also serves as my fragrance).

The trick, in my opinion, is to find a moisturizer that’s heavy enough to be effective but not so heavy that it leaves you feeling greasy.


Dermatologist Suggested

When my dry skin sent me to the dermatologist, she recommended Cetaphil cream (the stuff in the green tub).

It is still my old standby: widely available, relatively inexpensive (16oz about $11.00) and very effective. It also sinks in quickly enough so as not to leave me feeling too greasy. Like the Dove bar, however, it is unscented and basically boring.

I really wanted to find some more interesting options, but I am pretty picky: I won’t sacrifice effectiveness (no exotic packaging or clever marketing angle is worth dry, itchy skin)! I also don’t like feeling like I’ve been dipped in a vat of Crisco.

Finally, my skin is sometimes uncomfortable with some heavier fragrances, so I tend to stay away from those (I said I was picky!). But, I have found a couple very nice alternatives to Plain Jane Cetaphil.


Smooth Alternatives

My favorite so far is a 30% shea butter cream from Chelmsford Herbal Soap Company, available in several fragrances or unscented. It has a marvelously smooth consistency, sinks in quickly and is very effective (it sells for about $8 for 4oz).

Chelmsford's specialty is shea butter products; they make a companion lotion that is somewhat lighter, with 15% shea butter (8oz for about $10.00) as well as a couple of other moisturizing products. Their hand cream contains 30% shea butter and has a light floral scent. Very nice.

I also enjoy their foot cream. Like practically every other foot cream on the market, this one contains peppermint; however, they combine it with cucumber, which tones down the minty tingle and results in a very fresh, cooling, wonderful foot cream. Apply some before bed, put on some socks, and wake up with baby-soft feet! The hand cream and foot cream sell for $6.50 for 2oz.

If Shea Butter isn’t your thing, try the Kukui Nut Cream or Lotion from Oils of Aloha (each about $10 for 4oz). These are also non-greasy, fast absorbing and very moisturizing. As with other product lines, the cream is richer, the lotion lighter.

We reviewed Oils of Aloha in an earlier article and for more moisturizing options check out Oceans of Lotion. Whatever products you choose, I encourage you to maintain a consistent routine of gentle cleansing and generous moisturizing. Your skin will thank you for it!