In the guest bathroom, where I stay when I visit my parents' house in Chattanooga, on the back of the toilet there is a bottle of spearmint-eucalyptus hand lotion. When I walk into the room, my eyes pick out the bottle instantly, but on closer inspection, I read it more clearly. These two scents, at all costs, I try to avoid. On the bureau in the same bedroom is a bottle of Gold Bond Advanced Healing lotion, which claims to have a "fresh scent," as well as language printed on the front of the bottle claiming that it is "fast-absorbing." In my coat pocket, I have a small bottle -- 2 oz., or just enough to get me through TSA security -- of something lotion I bought at the airport. At home, there is a tub of shay butter direct from Africa, two bottles of Aveda lotion (one "cooling with oatmeal," and another "regular.") In my shoulder bag, which I carry with me everywhere, there is a 3 oz. tube of Vaseline Intensive Therapy Cream.
Every year, about the middle of October, sometimes closer to November, the skin on my hands and fingers becomes drier, and drier, until, it seems, that it just dies, becomes rough, and starts to flake away. It's a function of the weather, the dry air, the cold, and I'm sure me biting my nails doesn't help. I try to combat all this by applying a series of lotions and creams--hence the above obsession. I have convinced myself that some combination of these creams will do the trick, and that I have just to find the right order, the right dosage, as if it's a riddle to be solved by trials. Got any other solutions? Really, please share.
The good news is, that I seem to have found some combination of the Gold Bond and the Vaseline Intensive Care -- starting just after coming from the shower with the former -- and ending about a half hour after first and second application with the latter.
Sorry the posts have been slower than normal, the holidays have been distracting, and fun and fabulous. I send a huge thank you out to all my loyal readers.
Have a fantastic new year.
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2 comments:
Well, this might seem to be obsessive pampering, but it ain't.
Put Vaseline -- straight up -- on your hands before you go to bed, and then cover them with those cotton "spa" gloves you can buy at the drugstore. When you wake up in the morning, your hands will be better.
You could do this every night, but once a week during the worst months is recommended. And Neutrogena makes a super-greasy hand lotion (for fishermen) that also works, but it feels gross.
it's not just the air and cold, it's also b/c you're a foodie. all that time spent in the kitchen handling ingredients especially acidic ones and then endless washing of dishes really destroys the skin. this is not to say you should stop cooking. you of all people should never stop cooking because you're blessed and highly favored in the kitchen. use rubber gloves when you wash dishes. also, put some moisturizer in the kitchen and use it after you're done cooking or cleaning in there. it helps. i already forsee the bad thing knocking over the moisturizer for fun.
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