Dry Skin Care

1. Avoid rough or tight clothing, such as woolens, next to the skin.
2. Avoid frequent hot baths or showers. They will remove excessive amounts of the natural protective oils from the skin.
3. Limit baths or showers to a maximum time of 5 minutes per day; warm not hot.
4. Lubricate with moisturizer creams or lotions immediately after cleansing and frequently. Use 2 to 4 times daily, more if necessary (for hand eczema we often recommend application of emollients 10 to 15 times daily).
   
   A partial list of these follows:
   Products marked with a star* are said to be safe on the acne-prone areas*
   
   

   Regular or lighter products: Complex 15 cream Carmol, Carmol 10, 20, 40 cream Cetaphil cream or lotion* Curel Lotion DML lotion EltaLite Intensive Hand Cream Moisturel lotion* or cream Neutrogena Moisture (for face)* Pen-Kera SBR-Lipocream Theraseal Hand Protector Vanicream* Vaseline Dermatology Formula Ultramide 25 Special Moisturizers: Amlactin 12 cream or lotion Epilyt lotion Lac-Hydrin Five or 12 (12 is by prescription) Lacticare (plain or with HCT 1% or 2-1/2%, which is by Rx.) U-Lactin

   Heavier ointments: Aquaphor Ointment Crisco Theraplex Emollient Vaseline, plain (not on acne-prone faces) Neutrogena Moisture (for face)* Hydrolatum

   
   
5. Use minimal or mild soaps or cleansers. Recommended soaps include:
   Dove (“Unscented” or “Sensitive Skin” bar), Aveenobar, Basis, Cetaphil bar, Lowila, Oilatum, Purpose, Eucerin bar, Neutrogena bar (for dry skin), Vanicream bar.
   DO NOT USE medicated, deodorant or perfumed soaps. These include Coast,
   Dial, Irish Spring, Lever 2000, Palmolive, Safeguard, Zest, Caress and Camay. "Organic" and liquid soaps are also not generally recommended.
6. You may have been prescribed a medicated cream. This should be applied by itself, not at the same time as the moisturizer cream, which should be applied 30 to 60 minutes earlier or later.