Extra extra dry skin help please

gatita

HELP! I am an older lady   with several health conditions, could anyone suggest a cream or oil for my paper thin skin on my legs! I also have purple marks all over my legs. I have tried many creams, some of them are ok but VERY expensive for me. 

Morbier

I have a friend who uses E45 for the same reason. He is very happy with it. (I'm not recommending it, or otherwise, as I don't use it). He is eligible for free prescriptions and gets it from his GP.  

Spoonie_Turtle

Aveeno cream is good (the lotion is good too but the cream is best). It is relatively expensive, but you can usually find it on offer somewhere. My GP prescribed me something akin to the lotion, Zeroveen, but she advised me to try a small amount of the Aveeno first to see if it would be suitable before prescribing a large amount of it. (Unfortunately my skin has since decided it does not like dimethicone which is in practically every mainstream cream designed for dry skin, but before that it was the best thing I had found!)

Technique is also really important - you should moisturise after washing, before your legs have completely dried out. They don't necessarily have to be damp, but straight after towel drying rather than some time later. That was the key for me and especially once I could no longer use the above products, so using other things on just-dried skin has really helped keep things at bay.

For daily use, maybe dampen your skin with a soft flannel or sponge (or even with your hands), just so you're not putting cream onto already-dry skin.

7136

Bio oil, it will help with the marks on your legs and really moisturising 

Marmaduke123

Aloe Vera gel. Much lighter than heavy creams for very thin skin, soothing and quickly absorbed. Make sure you get the pure kind with nothing else in it. There are several brands and sellers on Amazon. I buy it by the 1 kg pot, lasts me about six months.

Spoonie_Turtle

Marmaduke123 said:

Aloe Vera gel. Much lighter than heavy creams for very thin skin, soothing and quickly absorbed. Make sure you get the pure kind with nothing else in it. There are several brands and sellers on Amazon. I buy it by the 1 kg pot, lasts me about six months.

This is an excellent example of different things having totally different effects for different people - I tried pure aloe vera back when my skin was generally happy with most things, but it just made my skin drier.

On the other hand, aloe vera was the only thing my brother could use when he had extreme eczema all over as a child - to the point where he had to wear bandages at night so his skin didn't completely dry out and crack and stick to the sheets overnight. The aloe was miraculous stuff for him!

theoretica

Aqueous cream is very cheap, if it suits your skin. Maybe worth trying if you haven't already.  One pharmacy I go to has it behind the counter, and the more expensive branded creams out.

QuackQuackOops

Get Dermol from your doctor. 

pollypenny

Soap and Glory body butter is gorgeous. Easy to apply, non sticky and sinks in quickly. 

Usually on three for two in Boots, but a third off for one at the moment. 

joyce_150

How about using Aveeno or Cetaphil. 

charlielhyde

I also use the Aveeno cream, but maybe should be better to consult a dermatologist that will recommend a cream suitable for your type of skin...