DRY SKIN DO'S

Like the previous post, here's another question just waiting to be answered!

"It is getting cold and my skin is feeling much drier and itchy. What is the best product to use for an all over body moisturizer?"

There are a few steps in order to achieve the best hydration for your skin. First, you need to make sure you're exfoliating off any dead/dry skin off to get it out of the way. This ensures full product absorption where applied. No need to waste product on already dead skin cells that are just hangin' on! You can either use an exfoliant glove that was discussed in Lose the Loofah or a sugar scrub. Sugar scrubs are nice because many contain oils making them a perfect match to hydrate and exfoliate dry skin. Secondly, apply some sort of hydrating lotion. Ingredients to look for in a good body moisturizer is:

• Hyaluronic Acid: Aids in sealing/binding moisture to your skin.
• Ceramides: Fatty materials that are naturally found in your skin that helps to support and maintain healthy, hydrated skin.
• Vitamin E: Aids in hydrating and healing the skin.
• Sweet Almond Oil: Rich in Vitamin E to aid in hydration. Also helps to calm and soothe the skin.
• Coconut Oil: It shares a similar molecular structure to your skin making it a perfect fit for deep product penetration resulting in hydrated skin.
• Glycerin: A popular water binding ingredient that helps to make sure moisture "sticks" to the skin. 
• Propylene Glycol: An extremely popular humectant similar to glycerin. 
• Butylene Glycol: Extremely similar to Propylene Glycol just better suited for sensitive skin types. 
• Sorbitol: Helps to attract moisture to the skin.
• Cholesterol: A ceramide that is a fatty material that is naturally found in your skin's "glue" which helps to keep our skin hydrated and cushioned. 
• Dimethicone: A lightweight silicone that helps protect the skin from loosing moisture. Helps in keeping the skin balanced for a long period of time. 

With so many ingredients available on the market today I feel that these are the more popular out of the bunch. My favorite two products that contain most of these listed ingredients are the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and the Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. Both are extremely thick substances that help to deeply moisturize the skin and act as a seal to keep in any moisture that may try to escape. They last all day long and are perfect for any skin type. Both products are able to keep winter's dry spell at bay! You can find both products at your local retailer and be sure to like both brands on Facebook for special offers and coupons! Also, check out both websites for other amazing coupons!

NOTE TO SELF: Try to avoid soap containing body washes due to soap's drying effect it has on the skin. Also, avoid any artificial fragrances or colors as they may irritate dry skin more.