very, very dry legs

[WipsGlitter]

Combo of being covered with tights and too hot baths probably. You could grate cheese on them. Any suggestions? Preferably something that really soaks in - I seem to have very unabsorbent skin!

Exfoliate first, the shower mitts are fab
Moisturising shower stuff
Then try coconut oil

Thanks. Will try the moisturising showed stuff. Can't stand the smell of coconut unfortunately!!

a good scrub, and I use Aveeno body lotion. You need to apply moisturizer every day I find to keep them nice.

baby oil

I definitely agree with Fish0n, you have to do it every day, I think this matters more than what you use.

I always had really dry, cracked legs and when I had ds and started breastfeeding they got worse. Every day I shave, lightly exfoliate and use E45 lotion and they are pretty good at the minute. If I skip it for more than two days they get dry and cracked again

Exfoliate, then use La Roche Posay Lipikar lotion. It's the only thing that works on my lizard legs and armadillo elbows. Also tried Nip & Fab Dry Leg Cream but it wasn't as good.

Thread on lizard legs yesterday on here too, might be a good additional read?

E45 lotion.

Aveeno.

Baby oil on wet legs, then dry off with a towel. Dont rinse.

My legs are cracked I've got a sort of varicose eczema and I've found Neals Yard body butters good

Thanks everyone!

Also drink lots and lots of water.

I find the best thing for my dry skin is an oily scrub (can easily make your own with olive oil and caster sugar rather than salt plus a few drops of lavender or rose oil if cost is an issue). I apply it in the bath and then shower it off. It is worth giving the bath a rinse after as it can be a bit slippery.

Shower and exfoliate with exfoliating gloves and a cheap scrub. I find baby oil very drying on my skin and it gets tight and itchy but the Johnson's baby oil gel is great for me. Rub in for ages (good for cellulite!) and put on loose old tracksuit or pyjama bottoms that you don't mind being a bit ruined and do it early enough that you don't go to bed for a couple of hours. You can't do it and put daytime clothes on. Or try using the gloves with Superdrug aqueous (?) cream in the shower and moisturising with it after. Both work well for feet/ elbows/ scrubbing off built up fake tan or patchy real tan too!

Ditto exfoliate. Then coconut oil. That's all I ever use now, you think ugh it's greasy but when you rub it in No

I only exfoliate about once a week, using an exoliating glove and an exfoliating soap from Lush, can't remember its name. I have only been shaving about once a week as well but now that the weather is warming up here I will probably soon be increasing this dramatically. I have very sensitive skin and eczema so shaving upsets my skin and my legs get really dry and itchy a lot. To minimise this I shave with a good, sharp razor, and use Oilatum bath additive instead of shaving gel (get this from my GP but you can buy it OTC as well).

After showering is always the best time to moisturise as your skin absorbs it more. At the moment I am using Mixa moisturiser, which I find is moisturising but nice and light too. Other things I have found to be good are Diprobase (get that off my GP but you can buy it OTC), Cetaphil, Body Shop body butters (pricey so only as a treat). Ideally you want to be moisturising twice a day, once after a shower and then again before bed. If you're like me and have eczema the national eczema society actually reccommends moisturising at least 4 times a day, which I have never ever done but wish I could be bothered to (my legs often get all red and I scratch and sometimes it bleed and things). Also wearing tights is bad for dry, itchy legs as you said.

I found E45 lotion better than coco oil, mothers balm, Shea butter (pure and 30% body cream). I was sceptical but it has worked for me too.

I agree with Aveeno.

I get Eucerin 10% Urea lotion on prescription but you can get it from boots for about a tenner.

Mixa is brilliant.

I get excema on my shins if they get too dry. The first time this happened I was referred to a dermatologist who prescribed Cetraben. Its medical-grade moisturiser and you will find it behind the counter in pharmacies, not on the shelf or in the supermarket - but you don't need a prescription to buy it. For seriously dry skin, it's the business.

Baby oil will fix it.

Aveeno is magic. Fixes the driest of skins and feels gorgeous and non-greasy. The skin on my legs sometimes gets so dry it cracks open, so I speak from experience ...

Aveeno - the only thing I've found to help, after years of buying/trying.