MetaChat - Help me rub the lotion on my skin

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30 January 2007

Help me rub the lotion on my skin so I don't get the hose again. The winter cold is drying out my skin and making me itch, and so, for the first time, I must make the distinctly unmanful purchase of "moisturizing lotion." →[More:]

Can anybunny recommend a lotion that is:
1. not too "girly"
2. Hypoallergenic, no dyes or perfumes for my delicate, sensitive skin
3. Not at all oily or greasy (I hate when it feels like I have to scrub and scrub to get the lotion off my hands)
4. long lasting (I don't want to keep putting it on)
5. cheap. No expensive foreign crap! I'm poor. =(

Normally I'd just go with a regular Vaseline skin cream (not the petroleum jelly stuff), but I thought maybe the bunnies might have a favorite or two that I would like better. Fire away with your suggestions. Links are appreciated so I can read all what's in it before I go out to buy. Thank you!

post by: Eideteker at: 17:05 | 34 comments

Try Nivea. Most of the men I've known (many of whom have had allergies) have sworn by it.

I'm trying to find a link on drugstore.com, but am overwhelmed. And apparently there's also "Nivea for Men" line, which includes fragrance-free options. I was just thinking of the normal body lotion, in the blue bottle, though.

posted by occhiblu 30 January | 17:11

cetaphil

posted by taz 30 January | 17:12

Whenever dudes ask me about a moisturizer, I always tell them to go with Vaseline extra strength intensive care lotion. No fragrance, ulta-moisturizing, and strangely enough, not greasy or oily. I've actually found this to be one of the best fast-absorbing lotions I've tried. This lotion fits all of your criteria above. It's my pick.

On preview, all the men in my life also like Nivea. Good call, occhi.

posted by viachicago 30 January | 17:12

Lubriderm 'Seriously Sensitive' (or something like that--it's alliterative, anyway) sounds like it's pretty close to what you have in mind.

posted by box 30 January | 17:13

Hearty second on the Cetaphil.

posted by Specklet 30 January | 17:14

Also, you might consider vitamin E (either internally or topically).

posted by box 30 January | 17:17

My daugter's pediatrician recommends Aquaphor - but it's a little vaseline-like, so probably won't meet your other criteria. She has *very* sensistive skin and it appears to work well enough. Myself, I use the regular baby lotion. I put it on right after towelling nearly dry. I find the "default baby product smell" fairly unobjectionable.

posted by plinth 30 January | 17:32

My granmother is 104 years old with amazing skin...she uses Nivea all the time. She doesn't look 104, not a day over 86.

I don't think moisturizers are unmanly, hey, it's skin, it needs cream. The ones containing shea butter are good. You will have to spend a tad more for better creams. Keri lotion is heavy duty. The fast absorbing isn't that greasy.
I like the Body Shop's Body Butter tubs. Coconut or Brazil Nut. Fragrance galore, but delishious.

You may want to invest in a humidifier though. That'll help a lot also.

posted by alicesshoe 30 January | 17:33

Also: drink more water, use less soap.

posted by Specklet 30 January | 17:35

I use Nivea with aloe vera in it. It's heavenly and smells like warm spring days.

posted by muddgirl 30 January | 17:37

Eat more fat and grease.

posted by box 30 January | 17:37

lotion all stinks. suave skin therapy vitamin e moisturizer seems to not have a perfume smell though. just get the right one, there are a bunch of smelly weird ones. it is also not too greasy. it's the only lotion i have encountered that i can stand. no clue about hypoallergenic and such though. my hands become cracked bloody demon hands in winter unless i use something, but i only put it on before i go to sleep or i have an urge to wash it off five minutes later, no matter what it is.

posted by weretable and the undead chairs 30 January | 17:40

I second the humidifier suggestion. It works wonders for me in the winter.

As for moisturizer - I think Eucerin meets your criteria.

posted by amro 30 January | 17:44

Olay Complete for sensitive skin. Unscented, hypoallergenic, non-greasy. It's also a sunscreen, perhaps not so necessary now, but great for daily use in sunnier seasons.

posted by expialidocious 30 January | 17:51

Drink more water, and get your vitamins. Moisturizing will just treat the symptoms, the problem is you're dehydrated.

posted by knave 30 January | 17:53

lotion all stinks.

No, it doesn't. Cetaphil is completely odorless.

And knave, not all dry skin problems are due to dehaydration. I lived in Massachusetts, where, in the winter, was at 2% humidity. The Sahara is at 4%.

posted by Specklet 30 January | 17:56

Thanks, everyone so far. I definitely can't get a humidifier right now, for various reasons, but I'll keep it in mind.

I use Nivea's aftershave lotion and find it comes right off my hands when I wash them, so that's a possibility. I actually have Aquaphor, but I mainly use it for cuts, burns, and abrasions. And it's seriously expensive.

Still taking suggestions!

I lived in Massachusetts, where, in the winter, was at 2% humidity. The Sahara is at 4%.

Bingo!

posted by Eideteker 30 January | 17:59

1. not too "girly"

It comes in a manly jar!

2. Hypoallergenic, no dyes or perfumes for my delicate, sensitive skin

It has NO ODOR!

3. Not at all oily or greasy (I hate when it feels like I have to scrub and scrub to get the lotion off my hands)

It washes off easily with water, yet soaks into skin!

4. long lasting (I don't want to keep putting it on)

One application after your shower is all you need!

5. cheap. No expensive foreign crap! I'm poor.

It's like $7 for a bug tub!

*chants Ce-ta-phil! Ce-ta-phil!*

posted by Specklet 30 January | 18:08

Me dermatologist took ONE look at my skin and gave me a partial jar of Cetaphil to take home and a coupon for another one.

Then, the next year, yelled at me because I had some left in the second jar.

No smell, no grease. . .it's just nice stuff.

posted by danf 30 January | 18:13

Aquaphor is basically petroleum jelly, tarted up a bit. Not that that's bad or anything, but still it's mostly vaseline.

posted by danf 30 January | 18:14

My hands were getting bizarrely chapped over the last few months and I used Eucerin (as amro mentioned), which has helped immensely. The "Original", not the "Aquaphor" variety. It's kinda greasy though.

posted by mullacc 30 January | 18:18

That Nivea after shave lotion is just that, after shave...I wouldn't use it for regular moisturizing. I'd bet it contains alcohol, which dries skin out.

posted by alicesshoe 30 January | 18:18

Specklet, I live in RI. I used to think dry skin was a fact of life in winter, but it doesn't have to be.

posted by knave 30 January | 18:48

I hate lotion for all the reasons you mentioned but I like Aveeno in the winter.
Has oatmeal in it to stop itching too. Doesn't smell like oatmeal, or anything, for that matter.

posted by chococat 30 January | 18:56

Aquaphor is the only thing that's ever worked for me; everything else gets immediately drained into the dry-ass wasteland that is my skin. And then my hands crack open and they bleed everywhere and my roommate gets mad at me for dotting our furniture with little flecks of blood. Apparently, that's "bad form".

posted by Greg Nog 30 January | 19:44

I say skip the moisturizer entirely and tell everyone you're a Skeksis.

posted by jonmc 30 January | 20:14

It will really help your skin if you put the lotion on right after you get out of the shower, while your skin is still damp. It'll help it absorb better and feel less greasy.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 30 January | 20:36

Unscented Curel works well for me. Doesn't sting or anything, absorbs nicely. And it may sound strange, but showering less in winter helps me a lot, too (every other day or every third day). Just sponge bath the "stinky" parts between showers as needed, and you're good to go.

posted by Pips 30 January | 20:39

Depending on how your place is heated, you can put a metal pot or bowl on, say, the radiator to get some more moisture into the air until you can afford a humidifier. I also second taking Vitamin E if you can afford it--it really helps. Also, have you seen the taz & iconomy paean to coconut oil? I haven't had a chance to try it, but you can bet I'll be picking some up next time I'm in the big city. Right now I'm using Kiss My Face Lavender & Shea Butter lotion, which is the best I've found yet--it costs about as much as Lubriderm, but I use about 1/4 the amount with better results, and it's so light that at first I couldn't believe it was going to do a damned thing. The lavender scent is mild, but they have other lotions that are fragrance-free.

posted by elizard 30 January | 22:02

Step #1: Don't dry your skin more than needs be for cleanliness. Don't bathe, shower. And don't shower, Navy shower, in tepid water, with a pH balanced bath product, not soap, which is harshly alkaline.

Step #2: Pat dry. Dragging a bath towel over irritated skin isn't going to lessen irritation. Learn to pay yourself dry. Don't use fabric softner on your cotton, or cotton polyblend towels. In fact, if you use laundry softner of any kind, rethink that. The softener product lower the absorbtion of natural fibers enormously, particularly cotten and wool, and can be irritants to sensitive skin. And they transfer easily from dryer loads where you use them, to ones where you don't want them. You can always use a spray on softner/anti-static product after washing and drying any item, if you feel it is needed for that item.

Step #3. After patting yourself dry, use a moisturizing after-shower dry oil spray. This kind of product penetrates shower fresh skin in seconds, and since it's no left on the top layers of skin, isn't easily absorbed by clothing, or other fabrics.

Step #4: Your bed linens and sleepwear could be treated with dry oil spray weekly, to reduce the drying effect they have on your skin.

posted by paulsc 30 January | 23:15

I could have actually run the spell checker, before hitting previes & post. And, I certainly should have!

posted by paulsc 30 January | 23:24

For your hands, may I suggest Satin Hands by Mary Kay. I know its Mary Kay, land of big hair and girly girls, but I have amazingly sensitive skin and have found this lotion to be fantastic. And this product has very little scent at all and it disappears completely after a minute or two. Not oily or greasy and it lasts a long time, although I would recommend waiting a few hours to wash your hands since it will come right off. Their TimeWise body lotion is also really nice.

Also, it sounds like it should have the opposite effect, but I've found that by exfoliating you're likely to get rid of the dead skin and your skin will be softer. To make your own exfoliant mix 1 part brown sugar in 2 parts safflower or cheap olive oil. Scoop this up with your fingers and rub it all over your body. The sugar won't dissolve till it is hit with water and it will scrub away dead skin while the oil moisturizes. Wash off with warm but not hot water, pat dry with a towel and the next morning you will simply have soft skin with no oiliness and no scent. And olive oil is what the Roman's used to clean with. They'd dunk in olive oil and then scrape it off their skin, along with all the dirt and grit they'd accumulated.

posted by Cinnamon 30 January | 23:56

Cinnamon, you just gave me a flashback to my ninth-grade English teacher, who used to rhapsodize about how Greek athletes would cover their naked bodies in olive oil. Only she was southern, so it was more like, "covuh there nekkid bodies in ahl," which confused the hell out of me for a long time.

Yes, we were on the mythology unit at the time; no, I still don't know why the naked oiling was relevent.

posted by occhiblu 31 January | 16:04

It's late in the thread, but Cinnamon's comment reminded me of something else I do occasionally. In case I haven't made it clear, I too have incredibly dry skin at times, even in the rainforest. When my hands get out-of-hand (cracked and bleeding) dry I make a paste of salt and almond oil, rub it into my hands, and wash with mild soap and warm water. It is greasy (to the point that water beads on the skin for a couple of hours afterward), but the difference it makes is incredible. The salt granules are coated in oil, so you don't get the nasty salt sting, but they exfoliate like something that has unnatural relations with its maternal unit.

posted by elizard 01 February | 05:09

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