I’ve Tried Everything for My Dry Skin—Here’s What Finally Worked
The vibe I bring to the function? Maintaining a full-on conversation with someone as I hike up my pant leg and start scratching my dry, itchy skin. As discrete as I think I’m being in response to the nagging eczema patches underneath my denim (especially during the winter months), it’s a habit that my sister roasts me for whenever my eczema decides to take center stage. Our conversations about my dry skin always start and end the same way. She’ll swat my clawing hand away, using the phrase “you’re making it worse” to coat her disgust with care, and I try sitting on my hands for a few exhales before it becomes unbearable and I’m back at it. Rinse and repeat.
I’ve seen countless dermatologists over the years who have slapped steroid prescriptions into my hands and sent me on my merry way. And while that is effective for flare-ups, it’s not something you can use long-term (nor something I’d prefer). After almost two decades of flirting with steroids due to dry skin and eczema, I’ve found that prevention truly is key, so I tend to be quite aggressive when it comes to my dry-skin routine. Last year, I only had to fill one steroid script (down from four the previous year), which is a feat worth celebrating. After a few years of figuring out what has worked for me, being on a first-name basis with my dermatologist, and consulting the experts, I’ve finally nailed the dry-skin routine to end all dry-skin routines.
Using a thick, cream-based moisturizer
First things first: Building a barrier for your skin is essential, and that starts with a thick, cream-based moisturizer. My go-to? Remedy creams and moisturizers, a line that I came across during a discussion with skincare expert Patricia Turner—a nurse with over three decades of patient care experience in hospitals, wound clinics, and home care settings.
Remedy uses a unique blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and plant-based oils to create a robust formulation that works to protect and restore your skin barrier, a crucial step since the skin’s primary job is to keep the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Emollients and humectants are the key ingredients here—they restore and lock in moisture, keeping my skin smooth and calm for hours. I apply it religiously, especially after a shower when my skin is still damp, which Turner notes helps maximize absorption.
This specialized cream is packed with nourishing ingredients like aloe, green tea, and coconut oil to soothe skin and keep it buttery soft and supple all day. It’s available on Amazon, Walmart.com, and Medline at Home.
Using a humidifier indoors
Since low humidity is a major trigger for dry skin, I made peace with the fact that a humidifier would be my ride-or-die through the winter. Running a humidifier at home, especially overnight, keeps the air around me from stripping my skin of its much-needed moisture. Turner emphasizes that protecting skin from environmental triggers is key; low-humidity environments dry out skin, making it susceptible to cracking, irritation, and flakiness that I simply do not have time for. With a little extra moisture in the air, my skin feels noticeably less tight, and those dry patches appear way less frequently (thank God).
Adjusting my shower habits
I know I’m not alone when I say an insanely long, piping-hot shower is one of life’s greatest gifts. So while I do miss them oh so terribly, Turner pointed out that an excess of hot water can intensely aggravate dry skin. I now opt for warm (just not scalding) showers and try my best to limit the amount of time I spend in there. I also switched to a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser that doesn’t strip my skin’s natural oils, which keeps my skin feeling softer and less irritated. And to lock in even more moisture when I shower, I use Remedy cleansers, as Turner recommended. It’s a habit that seems small, but my skin feels so much better all around.
This super gentle, vanilla-scented cleanser doesn’t have an overpowering smell and doesn’t strip my skin—which is nothing short of a small miracle. It’s also available on Amazon, Walmart.com, and Medline at Home.
Wearing skin-sensitive fabrics
Eczema and dry skin can flare up simply from what we wear, so I’ve become super intentional about my fabric choices. Rough fabrics like wool may look cozy and seem perfect for winter, but they can be especially irritating on drier skin. Instead, I stick to soft, breathable fabrics like cotton and cashmere that keep my skin happy (and still look cute, of course). And as Turner mentioned, protecting your skin from the environment means being mindful of what it comes into contact with daily, whether it’s scarves, sweaters, or even the detergents and soaps you use to wash all your clothes, no matter what they’re made of.
Upping my water intake
Girlies with those gallon-sized water bottles, it’s your time to shine. Taking care of your skin from the inside out is just as important as any external routine. Hydration, Turner explains, plays a huge role in skin health, so I’ve made it a priority to drink water regularly throughout the day, not just a ton before I go to bed because I realize I’ve had three sips all day and start to panic. It might sound basic, but staying hydrated has helped me tackle dry skin in a really easy way.
Patricia Turner RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS
Director of Clinical Services for Medline Industries
Patricia Turner has been an RN for 35 years with experience in acute care, outpatient wound centers, and home health settings. She received her Certified Wound Specialist certification in 1995, her Wound, Ostomy, and Continence certification since 1999, and has been a Medline SH nurse for over a decade.
This post is sponsored by Remedy but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.
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