Dry skin blues

Where I live, high in the Rocky Mountains, we don't just deal with cold, we deal with dry. I probably look older than I am because of the lack of moisture, but I wouldn't trade my glorious mountains for any other part of the world. But I have learned to use some GREAT moisturizers that many people wouldn't think of, such as Balmex, Bag Balm, and olive oil. I know, I know. Balmex is for baby bottoms and has zinc oxide and vitamin E. Bag Balm is for cow udders and olive oil is for cooking. However, they all work great on chapped skin on hands, baby cheeks, and the knees of crawling babies, and adult feet.

A while ago my little niece was in tears at a family party because of her chapped, raw, red hands. Her mother said the little girl had such sensitive skin that regular moisturizers stung, so the mother was at wit's end and didn't know what to do to help her daughter. Luckily I had just purchased three tubes of Balmex. I warmed a small amount in my hand and took my niece's hands in mine (put there reluctantly because everything else anybody put on hurt her). As I gently rubbed the Balmex into her skin, her eyes met mine with a look of wonder and then she smiled a brilliant smile of gratitude. Her hands didn't hurt for the first time in days. While she ran off to play with her cousins, I gave the tube of Balmex to her mother and told her another trick.

Trick: Get dry skin wet for a few minutes in warm water, such as a shower or while washing dishes. Before drying the skin, dab off excess water with a towel and immediately apply the Balmex or Bag Balm. Apply again in an hour or so to really protect the skin. My husband started complaining about the dry, brittle skin on his heels a couple of weeks ago and I had him use Bag Balm as soon as he got out of the shower just before he put on his socks. No more cracked heels.

It's not just the ointment that makes your skin soft, it's the water in your skin. You will need to apply the ointment every time your skin gets wet and up to four or five times a day if weather conditions are severe. Do use gloves or mittens when going outside for extra protection.

If you put the ointment on your damp feet, immediately cover with socks. If you follow these directions every day, you will lose the split, calloused skin that is so ugly and painful on your feet.

As for olive oil, when I'm in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, I wash my hands about every two minutes as I go from one thing to the next. I keep a rather huge bottle of olive oil handy and rub a drop or two of the oil into my skin when I wash my hands. It keeps the skin soft and is edible, so I can continue using my washed hands as I cook.