Beauty: bath products to soften dry winter skin – The Guardian

‘I adore bubbles, however they are usually down to sodium laureth sulphate, which is among the last points quite dry skin will certainly appreciate.’ Photograph: Alex Lake for the Guardian

Even unproblematic skins can easily become horribly dry in winter. Sore shins, flaky arms and greyish knees and elbows are, for many, as section and parcel of January as an additional 5lbs and persistent, low-degree ennui. The latter makes me wish to wallow nightly in a hot bath that, though temporarily comforting, exacerbates the dryness, and so we continue..

For several years, I’ve treated myself to the occasional oat soak. I scoop porridge oats in to a muslin cloth, after that tie it about the tap, so the bath water runs through it (some usage supermarket powdered milk, however that functions nowhere near also and the smell makes me gag). It’s very cheap, and definitely softens and comforts dry, rough skin, also as soothing eczema, ichthyosis and psoriasis, however it can easily be a lot more faff compared to one can easily necessarily face. Even worse still, natural spillage leaves the bottom of the bath seemingly coated in Ready Brek and in reason of an unrelaxing session along with the Cillit Bang.

Ameliorate, the maker of products for dry, bumpy skin (I do admire brands that do just one thing), is adding to its portfolio an oat bath of its own, Skin-Softening Bath Powder (£23.50). The dermatologist-approved blend combines oats along with almond dairy products and various other natural ingredients, and is ground so finely that all of mess is avoided: merely chuck a scoop or two in to the bath (no muslin required) and watch it disappear down the plughole once you’re done. It functions brilliantly at softening dry, cracked skin in preparation for basting oneself along with emollient physique cream, and is suitable for even highly sensitive and irritable skin. Pleasingly, the powder bubbles and foams, which is woefully rare in skin-friendly bath products (I adore bubbles, however they are usually down to sodium laureth sulphate, which is among the last points quite dry skin will certainly appreciate). Half the price, however available just as a US import via Amazon, is the wonderful Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment (£10.97), which functions in specifically the exact same method and is additionally suitable for kids.

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For a lot more moderate dryness, I cannot recommend Good Things bath soaks highly enough, and it’s a mere £3.49. I found them at the end of last year and am now as most likely to go for them as I am my posh bath cremes. They smell lovely, provide Great foam, soften dry skin well and are cheap enough for abandoned extravagance.