What should I do about extremely dry and flaky skin on my legs when lotions don't help?

Hiya Melissa,

That sucks, sorry to hear that. Have you tried any home remedies, like applying warm coconut oil to your legs before you go to sleep. I know it might be a bit horrible in the bed so try sleepin on a big towel or something. You could also wrap your legs in clingfilm so you don't get everything dirty. Then in the morning, you wash it off in the shower. This is basically a mask for your legs. If you do it daily for a while, your legs will hopefully be as good as new :).

Good luck... I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

The legs and arms are really the problem areas when it comes to dry skin. I have it too but usually only in winter. The elbows and knees are especially DRY. Not only does it look ROUGH, when you have that tight feeling after going in the shower you also start scratching it because it itches and feels dry. Mine is sometimes so bad it looks all red and even starts cracking. In the day I try not to scratch it but at night it just happens in my sleep and I wake up with all NAIL MARKS on my legs and arms.

Things that make dry flaky skin WORSE are hot showers and baths, chlorine laden pools, harsh cleansers and exfoliators, and going in the sun too much. It can also be that you've got a skin condition like eczema so I'd see your doctor about that. If creams are NOT helping and you don't have hot showers (really hot) or use harsh cleansers definitely have that checked out. If you do make these common skin care mistakes, just see what it's like if you stop doing that.

Here's what I do. I use Eucerin intensive therapy lotion, which is designed (as it says on the label) for very dry skin. It's meant to do three things, exfoliate, condition and moisturize the skin. It seems to work for me. The good thing about Eucerin in general is that it is hypoallergenic and recommended by dermatologists. One thing you do have to do, because the lotion contains alpha hydroxy acid, is use a sun screen if you have bare legs. That's because alpha hydroxy acid can make you more sensitive to the sun's rays.

So, I was talking to a friend about this just today. About dry skin in general mind you, not just on the legs. She's tried a few different things. The ones that stood out for her were drinking more water and cutting out sugar. Most of us drink too little water, actually. You're supposed to drink a full eight glasses at least, and if you're sitting in an office all day you bet you that your skin is gonna dry out a whole lot faster, and you'll need even more water. I have no idea why cutting out sugar would do any good for dry skin, but yeah, she says it works so there you go.

Oh, and yet another thing she did was use petroleum jelly (vaseline) on really dry skin. I don't irritate the skin for one thing, and can really help trap the moisture inside.

Using something with alpha hydroxy on your legs every day, and not having long and hot showers will definitely help if your dry skin isn't the cause of some underlying illness or skin condition. Dry leg skin can be caused by a really wide range of things you don't want, like dermatitis, eczema, and even more serious things like thyroid trouble, PCOS, or kidney disease. The bottom line is - if the normal steps people take to remedy dry skin don't work for you and you're sure you aren't seriously dehydrated, just see your doctor about it to rule out more serious causes that you will definitely want treated.

HTH

Yep, winter will do that to you. For me, just using any old run of the mill body lotion will basically do the trick, so I don't have much experience with lotions not helping. Common sense though. Use something hypoallergenic and unperfumed. Anything that's got alcohol in it will make your skin dry out more, and strong scents aren't good for everyone's skin either. Also, look for any lotion that says it is created for very dry skin. Perhaps buy a few cheaper lotions first and see which one works well? You can always slather it on a few times a day to see if that gets you better results too.

Hi,
How about applying baby oil on your legs before you have a shower, so the shower won't dry out your skin and it will keep your legs nice and moisturized? You have to apply it thickly before you take a shower.
How about really exfoliating the skin to get the dry layers off and you can start afresh?
How about applying some oil, whether it's sesame oil or whatever else? Do wash the excess off with a cloth or paper towel.
There's another possibility and that is Greek yogurt on your skin and letting it soak in for approximately 20 minutes. And then either wash or shower it off. Make sure you apply some oil after.
GL!

Keri Renewal Serum for Dry Skin is just about the only product that helped me. Because my skin is sensitive as well as dry, I am very worried whenever I start using a new product. I believe this serum might have been made having the face in mind, but I don't care. The price is good and it makes my legs look supple and not flaky at all. The only bother is that you can't really find it at regular stores, so I order mine on Amazon.

Hi there! I also suffer from dry skin myself, and I have had issues with eczema in the past (I also have asthma, which is related). The last time I got a topical steroid prescription and went to the pharmacy to collect it, I asked the pharmacist if there was anything I could use on an ongoing basis after I was finished with the corticosteroids. She recommended a cream made by a French brand called La Roche-Posay. It is called LIPIKAR BAUME AP+. The front says it's anti-irritation and anti-scratching and a lipid-replenishing cream. The back of the tube says it soothes immediately and "spaces out flare-ups of severe dryness". It is fragrance and paraben free and can even be used by babies. The cream isn't cheap, but it really does what it says on the tin. I used to scratch myself open something wicked during eczema flare ups while I was asleep, but no more. I trust my pharmacist, and this is clearly a brand in the medical category of skin care products. If you have extremely dry and flaky skin on your legs, seeing your doctor is probably wise. However, this cream will almost certainly do you a lot of good as well.

Hiya,

What lotion with AHA would you recommend for the legs? My own legs are a bit dry at the moment actually and I didn't really know that AHA was used on the legs as well. I'm thinking of getting some St Ives Naturally Smooth Body Lotion now, 'cause that's got pretty great reviews and isn't an insult to the old wallet. Can anyone tell me whether they have a better product to recommend or if I should just go with that one? I wanna give my legs some luv in the cold season, you know?