Share your experiences of having itchy or dry skin with Balneum - £300 voucher to be won!

My knees could do with some E45 and my elbows

I just have 2 really dry patches on the backs of my legs. I have no idea what they are, but E45 itch relief cream seems to help - I do have to reapply regularly thoughout the day though, which is a pain.

I have an auto-immune disease dermatamyositis which causes red, dry itchy skin and photosensitivity. I have to use a 50 sun screen which also tends to dry the skin. I have tried so many creams, oils, etc but I haven't found anything that relieves the itch or combats the dryness. At the moment I am trying sweet almond oil with copaiba essential oils at night and eucerin cream in the day and I shower using QV Gentle Wash. Believe me I would try anything!!! But not hydrocortisone - it thins the skin.

I have dry very itchy skin up the sides of my face and around my ears and use Sudocrem which seems to work for me.

Had excema and very flaky dry sore skin for years... it is particularly bad on my hands at the moment and i find my fingers get stiff from the dryness & sore areas. I use Cetraben cream currently. Thanks for the helpful advice.

I have very sensitive skin so I am careful however I still have flare ups every so often. Right now I am suffering from contact dermatitis on my wrist. Nothing works except certain emollients and e45 sometimes but I have to vary them as they stop working after a while.

I have been using Egyptian magic on my dry skin and it works well

I have tried most things and have found Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream helps more than anything.

I have the typical symptoms of psoriasis, red, itchy, flaky skin. Daily baths are advised but It's best to not have the water too hot as this will exacerbate the constant dryness . Moisturising frequently throughout the day is a must.

I have had psoriasis from an early age, it flares up when I am run down and stressed, it can be in small clusters on my chest, or when I have had an illness cover 80% of my skin. Not only is it unsightly, it is incredibly itchy, I use a cream prescribed my my doctor - a coal tar cream I think. I'd love to find something to help me sleep at night. It does get better in the sunlight - the UV helps. but I dread winter.

I have dry patches around my shins. Not sure why but I try to keep these areas especially moisturised

What are your experiences with having itchy dry skin - does it hold you back at all?

I have dry skin and light Psoriasis - especially in winter, I use creams, and it does not really hold be back. I once got Guttate psoriasis - and it was all over my body and took weeks to clear - so that did hold be back - nothing seemed to alleviate the symptoms.

Or maybe you’ve found a way to overcome it?

no

Do you have a specific skin care routine to help combat your dry/itchy skin?

Any natural barrier cream applied in the morning, and last thing at night under my PJ's

Have you found it hard finding a product that works?

As my symptoms differ sometimes yes, sometimes no.

What is really important to you when choosing a product to relieve your itchy skin?

Natural, good price, non greasy and fast acting - with a nice smell.

Perhaps you’ve found support from your friends, family or online to help combat your itchy or dry skin?

I do discuss it with my friends, but don't want to 'go on about it'

Or do you have any unusual tips or tricks in helping you relieve itchy dry skin?

Oatmeal in a muslin bag in my bath.

My itchy scalp can have a massive impact on my life, I have seborrheic dermatitis, which can spread down my body, I use an antifungal cream, coal tar soap (which has a fabulous smell). The condition has reduced over the years, possibly due to me being semi-retired and not having such a stressfull life.
I wear a hat which makes me feel more comfortable as you cannot see the white skin flakes, as I feel less conspicuous.

I have contact dermatitis so have to be really careful when buying detergents, soaps and cleaning products, I seem to have it under control, but when companies make changes to their product it can flare up, I will use steroid ointments when it does, and barrier creams when it doesn't.
It means hotel stays can be a no-go for me, or I take my own sheets (makes me look like an OCD control freak - but it's the only way I'm sure).

I have flare-ups of psoriasis, my mum had it, my sister has it, so I guess it's genetic. It comes and goes, and is mostly on my back and upper legs. I avoid caffeine as I am told this affects it, I take milkthistle and echinacea as this seems to help, when i have a bad flare up, I use a barrier cream to soothe the itching, and will wear cotton gloves at night to stop me itching.

My DD suffers from this and she buys an Aveda anti-itching lotion from the US which really helps. Not sure why they don't sell it here!

I started with dry skin out of the blue last year, and itch they drove me insane, but I was good not to scratch an itch when I was a wake, but when I was sleeping it was a different matter, I ended up with dry infected legs and had to go to the skin viability clinic, and 3 courses of Antibiotics and 3 huge tubs of cream, they have healed but are very scarred. I have to go every year to the clinic, and go on the doppler and receive 2 pairs of support stockings from the clinic and get 2 pair from my Dr. I don't mind the black, but you can't really wear thick black stockings in the summer, and the light ones are awful really awful, really thick and not very light at all. I have be4en told I will have to wear them and use cream for the rest of my life.

Dry and itchy elbows have been an issue in recent years so I try to give them extra attention with creams

I have terribly itchy skin especially on my stomach! I try to combat it with non-perfumed shower gel and cream for sensitive skin. I also get dry skin on one elbow(?) which can be very unsightly and no matter what I do I can't work out why just the one! I don't do well with heavy moisturising creams as they make itching worse and I hate feeling all 'gunky'.

I have very dry skin in winter. I moisturise a lot and use manuka honey cream which seems to help me.

My skin tends to be quite dry but I have found that using products like Dove to wash with helps to keep it moisturised and not too flaky.

Balneum works for me - To keep the dry skin at bay and reduce the itching.

I use E45 cream for my problem. It is mainly on my face around the sides and bridge of my nose. It is not so much itchy but more dry/flaky looking and patchy red. It comes and goes but I find that E45 usually clears it up after a few days.

I have very oily skin so the only place where my skin gets really dry is my elbows. I rub them with a scraper or pumice stone and then slather on any old hand cream.

My son has suffered with itchy and dry skin for over 10 years, we have developed a routine of applying emollient and creams, drawing patterns to make it fun before rubbing in and bathing using them as a wash. Now he is older we have found products that resemble soap and moisturiser so that he does not feel different or conscious of his situation. Flare ups are now a thing of the past hopefully as we keep moisture levels topped up.