Extremely dry face

[ceeveg]

I have extremely dry skin on my face, along with red patches around my nose and mouth.  The dryness seems to concentrate around my forehead and nose, but is everywhere on my face.  I've tried various skincare products, have used a variety of natural scrubs (sugar, etc.) for exfoliation, and have tried every otc moisturizer I can find (I've even used body butters hoping they would work).  But nothing has helped, and I usually have to reapply moisturizer throughout the day.  I have stopped wearing makeup because of it. I probably need to go to a dermatologist, but wondered if anyone else has experienced this?  Is it dietary?  I do drink a ton of water, and that hasn't helped.  I have also tried things like coconut oil, olive oil, and vitamin E on my face even without luck.  It's not just confined to the winter, but the winter months don't help.  Anyone else experiencing this?

[milansmommy]

I have very dry skin and living in CO does not help. Mine started getting much better when I started using the Pevonia line for dry skin and used the gentle exfolient every day. I think it helped to get the moisturizer into my skin better. I've used that line for about seven years and it's been great. I tried everything before finding this line and now I'm looking at other brands to branch out and I have to go back to it every time.

[ahimsamom]

I have really dry skin too...I have found that jojoba oil works really well for me. It is expensive, but doesn't take a lot to do the trick. Also, eating foods with high water content really helps me. I tend to eat a lot of fresh raw fruits and vegetables. When I eat a lot of cooked foods (especially breads, grains and cooked oils) I get EXTREMELY dried out. Also, I try not to wash my face with hot water. I live in the mountains and really love taking hot showers when it is cold out, but it wreaks havoc on my skin.

[Lynn08]

You might consider increasing your omega intake.  Dh (and dd1, tho not as bad) has skin issues that are noticeably worse when he doesn't take his supplement for whatever reason.  We love the Udo's Choice, but it can be tough to drink straight oil.  It's just a pain to find a veg/an capsule option.

He also uses Derma-E Vitamin E Cream during the winter months when his dry skin is at it worse.  It absorbs easily and isn't too heavy (I have combo skin and use it from time to time ).  There is also a product by Shikai (sp?) made with borage oil; dh uses the body lotion, but thinks the face cream is too greasy.  It may work well with your skin tho. 

Good luck!

ETA: You might also want to ask over in Natural Body Care.  The ladies over there usually have some good suggestions. 

[betsu63]

I know it isn't a "healthy" product but Oil of Olay with zinc oxide works really well for what you describe. Not all of the Oil of Olay have zinc oxide.

[LisaGreene]

The red patches around your mouth sound like it could be dietary. My son has sensitivities to chemicals in food and before we discovered them, he constantly had dry, flaky patches of skin on his face. We removed high fructose corn syrup and msg and his face cleared up. I agree with getting more omega, it's great for your skin. You might also try a colon cleanse. Sounds weird, but your skin is a detox organ and if you get clean on the inside, skin often clears up.