S.O.S.—Save Our Skin

Lately, I just can’t get my skin to not be dry, flakey and itchy. I’ve tried so many different lotions, and I apply them twice a day, but my skin just won’t quit. After experimenting with different lotions and scrubs, I’ve finally found the ultimate winter body regiment.

Lotion

Amlactin. It’s the best lotion for dry, itchy skin, and it’s the most recommended lotion by dermatologists. Amlactin contains natural lactic acid that helps exfoliate skin on the cell level, which helps remove dead skin and prevent dry, flakey patches. Applying it twice a day will leave your skin soft (but not greasy) and it absorbs almost immediately so it doesn’t get all over your clothes. The only issue: it smells kind of funky when you’re applying it. But once it’s absorbed, the smell fades. However, if you like a lotion that makes your skin smell nice, you may just want to apply it once the Amlactin is absorbed.

Cocoa Butter

After I apply Amlactin, a slather on some Palmer’s Cocoa Butter because I love the smell and it makes my skin baby soft. Cocoa butter is a great moisturizer, and it’s very intensive so it’s great for nighttime use. Besides making your skin buttery soft, it helps to fade scars and stretch marks, and it smells like cookies. It goes great on top of the Amlactin.

Body Scrub

Anything that helps to remove dead skin cells is key for smooth skin in the winter—it helps prevent all of that gross flaking! So you can either buy a body scrub, or make one yourself. Personally, I’ve found it to be much cheaper (and nicer!) to make one at home with coconut oil and coarse grained brown sugar. It’s got all of the scrubbing power of a scrub you’d pay a minimum of $9 for, but it’s all natural and infinitely more moisturizing, plus it smells amazing! Just combine about a quarter of a cup of coconut oil—make sure it’s organic, and not processed or refined in any way. Trader Joe’s and Wegmann’s both sell this—with about a tablespoon of brown sugar and mix.

The amount that you will want to use will depend on your body, so if you want to slather it on feel free to increase the amounts and eyeball it. Once you’ve applied the scrub, wash it off with warm water; the coconut oil will have already begun to absorb into your skin, so your skin is exfoliated, soft and smelling like toasted coconut.

Photo by Ashley Zucker