The first time out in my swimsuit last summer, I was self-conscious for a whole new reason. It wasn’t about my stomach or how my butt looked. It was about my skin. My brother-in-law teased that he needed an extra pair of sunglasses to look at my legs.
I’m Irish. I either burn or freckle. There’s no such thing as a tan in my world.
My legs were their normal super pale color, but this time they were ashy from dry skin too. The dry skin made me look even paler (if that was even possible). So instead of being self-conscious about heading out in my bathing suit, I was hesitant to bare my legs.
After wearing jeans much of the summer, on one hot day, I decided enough was enough. I was going to heal my dry skin. The ashy skin needed to go. The accompanying itchiness was super annoying too. I may be pale, but I don’t need white, dry skin making me look any paler than I already was.
# Shower Less OftenI bet you shower every day – maybe more than once a day. I used to do the same thing.
Showering too often strips the oils that keep your skin moisturized. I recommend showering every other day. Your skin will then retain its moisture naturally. If you must shower daily, make it fast, use cool water, and only use soap in body parts that are prone to smell, like armpits.
It’s only in the past 20 years that we started bathing daily. This is mainly because of clever marketing by soap manufacturers; the more product we use, the more money they make.
# Take Short ShowersThe longer you shower, the more moisture you strip from your skin. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and get out once the time goes off.
# Skip Hot Water
Hot water strips oils from your skin much faster than cool or lukewarm water. I recommend showering with lukewarm water. You can shower with cool water if you can tolerate it.
# Choose A Gentle SoapUse a gentle soap – I prefer
old-fashioned, handmade soap. Most store-bought soaps are actually
detergents created from petroleum. They strip your skin of essential
nutrients.
Look for real soap and something unscented. Fragrance in soaps is often harsh on the skin, causing irritation.
# Moisturize Right After Showering
Your skin is like a sponge when you get out of the shower. It effectively soaks up the moisturizer you apply. I’ve experimented with this quite a bit.
It is essential to moisturize right after toweling off. Your pores will then be open and soak up the moisturizer.
# Pick The Right Moisturizer
Moisturizers are not all the same. I recommend something specifically for dry skin.
Better yet, moisturize with olive oil or coconut oil. It’s a simple and cheap alternative. Plus, it works more effectively than store-bought moisturizers. The only downside is that you’ll have to wait a little while for it to be absorbed by your skin. Be careful to not stain your clothing.
I make my own lotions and moisturizers. Homemade lotions are surprisingly simple to make and very effective at healing dry skin.
Skip fragrances and dyes in moisturizers – they cause irritation.