If you are prone to eczema(but only mild occurrences)and can't use the products that I've always used like facial scrubs,and bath oils,and the dermatologist suggests only using Cetaphil cleanser and lotion like a female has no other beauty issues to deal with.My skin itches all the time even my boobs, I have DH scratching my back all the time and alot of times my legs.I know that over stimulation of oil glands cause them to produce more oil to compensate for the oil removed but if I don't try and remove the flakes my skin looks awful and drab and blah.I know there has to be someone with a similar problem , please tell I'm not the only one. Thanks, Shelia

I have a friend who has the skin like yours, she got eczema on her jaw. She told me she used Avene (French line skincare) and then switched to cheaper Australian brand (she lives there). Over there Avene just like EL, Clinique, Lancome, with the counters in dept. stores. In US I think you've to mail order them. She uses creamy cleanser. If you're bored with Cetaphil cleanser (I don't like this, leave a film on my face and don't take off makeup very well), maybe you can try Aveeno Baby Creamy Cleanser or PC cleanser for dry skin (they said it's better than Cetaphil).
But if you've no problem with Cetaphil cleanser and lotion/cream, I'd say better stick with them.

For your body, try Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash and Lotion, Cottage Shoppe Body Wash and Body Butters (they use high percentage shea butter), Chelmsford Herbal Soap Co. body wash. The other good one is Vaseline Intensive Care lotion for dry and sensitive skin. HTH

www.cottageshoppe.net
www.csoap.com

I am going to try the phytomer accept line of skin care. Has anyone used it? I will post after I try it for awhile.

I was just reading your post again.

Using exfoliants while your skin is reactive (if that is what is going on) may not be a good idea. Get it under control and then exfoliate.

Exfoliating will make your skin look much better and eliminates that dull look. Basically it is helping the skin cells shed faster than they normally do by removing them. There are many products available to do this, but some are very irritating to sensitive skin.

Sometimes if you can get the overly sensitive skin under control first and then you can use some of the products that bothered the skin to begin with.

Oily skin and dry skin aren't necessarily the same thing. A good esthetician might be able to stear you in the right direction for products. Sometimes taking something like flax seed oil helps the ithcy skin. It has helped me a lot.

My skins over sensitivity is something I've developed in the last couple years, and the stuff the dermatologist is giving me isn't doing much good (mine isn't eczema, but that is what the medicine is for). I'll keep you posted on how my skin is faring with the new products I got.

oil glands are also triggered to rubbing or irritating the skin- so touching it as little as possible is a good thing- switch to the washcloths for infants, and change them every other day to keep them from collecting icky stuff.

keep a journal for your skin- how it looks/feels compared to relative humidity (and remember- raining outside does not humidify dry air in the house much during the winter)

grapeseed oil (or regular almond oil for massages) applied after the shower seems to help deal with the 'ash' of dead skin cells, and locks in moisture

attack this from the inside as well- cut back on salt, tannins, and caffiene, increase your liquid intake, consider adding a tablespoon or so of flax seed oil to your diet...

and then go back, and smack your dermatologist again.