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Sheryl Kraft

Sheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.

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Beauty Question: Help for Dry Skin?

Beauty Question: Help for Dry Skin?

"My skin used to be so oily, I was always complaining about the shine. And now that I'm going through menopause, things have changed. It's so dry that it feels like my face will crack! I'd like to get some oil back. Any ideas?"

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I received this short email recently from one of my readers: "My skin used to be so oily, I was always complaining about the shine. And now that I'm going through menopause, things have changed. It's so dry that it feels like my face will crack! I'd like to get some oil back. Any ideas?"

I can relate. My own skin used to be so oily and greasy that I'd never go anywhere without those anti-shine wipes. I swear I kept that company in business. Of course, it was so long ago that I can't remember the name of the company, but wipes like that are still around, like these.

And yes, I should have listened to my grandmother, who, when I complained about my shiny skin, said: "Oil is good for your skin. It keeps away the wrinkles. One day you're going to miss it!"

The Story.
Here's what I know. There are lots of products out there that promise to treat dry skin.

The Details.
One helpful tip to keep in mind, from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is this:
Use only gentle, unscented skin care products. Some skin care products are too harsh for dry, sensitive skin. When your skin is dry, stop using skin care products that contain alcohol, fragrance, retinoids or alpha-hydroxy acid (AHAs). Avoiding these products will help your skin retain its natural oils.

Ammunition.
I recently came across a product called Bio-Oil. It should be called Everything-Oil, because (short of using it to cook, maybe), it can be used for so many things, including the body, face, hair and brown spots. Moisture. Smoothness. Relief from dry skin. It's got it all.

So, what's all the fuss about?

  • It has a light texture.
  • It's non-greasy.
  • It absorbs rapidly.
  • It contains natural botanical extracts like calendula, chamomile, lavender and rosemary.
  • And it contains vitamins A and E, which can nourish and treat aging and dehydrated skin.

And the best thing is the cost. It won't cost you an arm and a leg, like some skin care products do. Woo-hoo.

And please, as long as you stopped here, feel free to jot down any Beauty Q you want answered. I aim to please.

This post originally appeared on mysocalledmidlife.net.

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