Cosmetic Surgery Blog

Now that it’s summer, your skin is probably getting its fair share of sun, dryness, salt, wind, and more. I haven’t even gone to the beach this summer as of yet as most of my weekends are spend jumping out and off of stuff—which I assure you plays a number on one’s skin. I am constantly dry out in this desert, my lips, my hair, my shoulders, my shins especially. So how do I keep from looking like a snake?? In this summer heat (yesterday it was 102F), even my horses are so dry they are rubbing the hair off their tails and necks. I have to keep slathering moisturizer on their tail docks, as well as other body parts. Be thankful you don’t have to use what they do.

I have used a lot of lotions, potions and serums myself and honestly, as long as I am drinking enough water and using some sort of lotion, it seems to work out. But as you know, not all lotions are created equally. For instance, Nivea, I find far too greasy for my skin, Vaseline Intensive Care lotion tends to be too watery, especially when it sits for too long, Aveeno is a favorite, although I have adored Shea Nut Butter for quite some time; even those aren’t created equally.

Shea Nut Butter is an amazing product. If you have severely dry skin, Shea can be your skin-savior. It is made from the nut of the Shea or Karite tree:

The shea or karite tree, formerly Butyrospermum paradoxum, is now called Vitellaria paradoxa. It produces its first fruit (which resemble large plums) when it is about 20 years old and reaches its full production when the tree is about 45 years old. It produces nuts for up to 200 years after reaching maturity. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shea_butter]

The unrefined versions can smell pretty robust but they are usually touted as being the “best” since they are of the first press and are not heavily refined/filtered/screened. Think of unrefined as the first press of olive oil; you get more of beneficial properties of the olive. Shea is the same way. Many times it is formed into thick, emollient solid cakes and you may even see chunks of shell. It is more likely to spoil, however. Although I must say the refined version feels and smells better and I didn’t notice a difference in the overall end result. Most of the time the commercially available Shea products have a negligible amount of actual Shea in the product. Therefore it is best to buy actual Shea Butter online from a reputable company.

I personally like going with a standard lotion off of the shelf from your local grocery store due to cost and the fact that if you simply remember to apply a lotion regularly, and eat well (a diet high in natural fish and nut oils helps) and stay hydrated it will do you far better than a designer chunk of Shea or any expensive lotion for that matter. And that, my dear readers, was the longest run-on sentence I have ever typed out. Enjoy!

We are all feeling the effects of the nasty heat these days. Unfortunately right now, and I never thought this would happen, my feet are getting cracked on the sides of the heel. The heat and the dryness of the desert and walking around barefoot outside on the rocks are ruining my feet. I have used lotions with socks in the past but it is far too hot for me to wear socks to bed right now. Shea seems to be the best for my feet, and I have even used Bag Balm as a barrier when I was desperate. I have been applying Bag Balm to my mare, Corona ointment to both of their tails, hoof dressing to their hooves, and silicone droplets to their manes and tails. It seems to help, but not cure.

Desert Living can be harsh, so protection and maintenance is paramount if you want to keep your skin looking nice and supple. Is there anyone reading who has suffered very dry skin and found a miracle cure? We sure could use it if you have better advice. I know all products won’t suit every person perfectly, but I am always looking for newer, better products to help relieve the effects of such dryness.