Do Your Knees Itch?

[jesse_the_k]

Winter time in Wisconsin is cold, dark, and low humidity (except for intermittent snowstorms).

Combined with many hours spent in indoor heating creates itchy skin. I've lived here since 1973, I thought I was used to it.

Starting this year, the skin over the outside of my knee cap has decided to get dry and itchy.

WTF? Where do you itch?

Comments

[green_knight]

Try 'location changes every 6-8 months, but I always have dry skin somewhere'. This includes back of calves, elbows, hands, near the eyes (that one was *particularly* nasty) ...

I've started to do a lot more pre-emptive moisturising. Which is fun when you're allergic and have to watch which products you can use...

[jesse_the_k]

Is there any product that's reliably safe?

I've never *knocks wood* had a reaction to plain old coconut oil, although it's not as effective as some of the compounded lotions or creams.

[julian]

Everywhere, but most especially my lower left calf, and a bit of my back.

(My lips are also constantly chapped.)

[jesse_the_k]

It's mysterious that there would be handedness to dry skin!

[tozka]

I get itchy shins! They’re itchy right now, actually. I don’t use lotion regularly, which probably doesn’t help.

[jesse_the_k]

I was lotion-free for a long time, since I used Aveeno moisturizing fragrance free liquid soap. Then three years after menopause ZAM! everything started flaking like a pie crust.

[esteefee]

seriously? wtf? is going on with my heels? this has never happened to me before: painful cracking of my heels.

I am trying traditional bag balm (in the green tin). will report back.

[jesse_the_k]

Ugh, heels are the worst because -- for me at least -- they impact walking. I end up turning my ankles to avoid pressure and that way lies a cascade of misery.

Bag balm is wicked effective, if you can tolerate the camphor -- wait, I just checked the set and they don't have camphor anymore! My goodness, I might give that another try.

[magnetic_pole]

Chapped lips, all the time!
Happy new year, J.
M.

Product ruminations

[jesse_the_k]

I've heard rumors of lip balm addiction, but it seems to be more like a habit.

I grew up with Chapstick, but succumbed to the local hero, Carmex. The camphor and menthol were too strong, though -- they ended up making my lips hurt more.

I judiciously apply Blistex Medicated Mint, which is slightly less camphorous. But mainly I just have chapped lips.

Re: Product ruminations

[magnetic_pole]

I love Carmex! All the more now that they're available in the traditional lipstick-like tube.

Hope you're staying warm and moist! (Er.) M.

[luzula]

Have you tried using a humidifier indoors? I used to do that when I lived up north. For me it wasn't so much my skin, but my nose/throat that got dry. People complain about the wet winters here on the west coast, but I actually like them. Though I do miss the snow, too.

[jesse_the_k]

Humidifiers definitely help. We have a whole-house system that adds moisture to the air before it's blown up through our heat ducts.

My neti routine keeps my sinuses happier. I was horrified when I spent time in New Mexico--everything started cracking and bleeding. That's where I met O'Keefe's Working Hands cream, which is a) effective and b) fragrance free.

[lilysea]

My face and scalp...

[jesse_the_k]

Sympathies -- it's so hard to treat scalp itch! To me it feels like any hair makes me itch as it grows (especially the coarse ones on my chin).

[lilysea]

Washing my hair makes my scalp/face itch and flake.

But NOT washing my hair makes my scalp/face itch and flake even worse...

Have been experimenting trying to find a soap [or a non-soap bar] I can tolerate.

I just ordered this, I hope it helps...

https://www.hopesrelief.com.au/product/shampoo/

[toft]

My shins get very itchy in the cold.