Body Cream Hints

So your body is dry and scales build up on it.  You need creams that do two things: help moisturize you (or are emollient), and also help reduce your scales (or are an exfoliant).

Moisture

Lots of creams, readily available in any drugstore,  provide moisture.  I use primarily creams, because they are thicker, and therefore have more "staying power" than lotions.   However, I keep at least one bottle of plain lotion on the bathroom counter all the times so that I have something to put on my face as soon as I step out of the bath/shower.   Maintaining every possible bit of moisture is critical to my face so that I can try to make it look as "normal" as possible.  But other than that, I use primarily creams. 

The first thing I look for in selecting a cream is one that is water soluble or water miscible (if it is, it will say so right on the label somewhere).   Creams that are water soluble, of course, dissolve in water.  This is important to anything that comes in contact with my creamy skin--clothes, bed sheets, etc.   Creams that are water soluble come out, very easily, in the wash.  Creams that are not water soluble are much harder to get out of clothes and sheets and can build up.   Your clothes and sheets can end up with a "film" of cream covering them, never really feeling clean and even looking greasy.  Water soluble creams make this problem much easier to manage.

Petrolatum (including the original stand-by, 100% pure Vaseline Petroleum Jelly) is perhaps the oldest and still widely used moisturizer for people with ichthyosis.  Many moisturizers include some petrolatum in them, and Vaseline has in recent years introduced a host of moisturizers based on Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.  Glycerin is another popular ingredient.   Glycerin can be purchased from any pharmacy; if you find out Glycerin helps you and it's not already in your favorite lotion you can add it yourself.  Other people with ichthyosis like to use pure lanolin (usually applied right after a bath or shower).  Propylene Glycol is another moisturizing agent that many people with ichthyosis find helpful.  Check out the Products section for some specific product suggestions.  For more information on the use of emollients, check out The Skin Therapy's Letter which had a nice article in 1997.

Reduce Scaling

To reduce scaling, you need cream or lotion that has an ingredient specifically added to accomplish this.   Urea, Glycolic Acid and Alpha- and poly-hydroxy acids are some of the most popular and most effective for ichthyosis.  People with ichthyosis were using AHAs long before the rest of the age- and beauty-conscious public had ever heard of them.  Back then, AHAs were only available by prescription, with a custom compounding.  Now, many excellent creams containing AHAs are available over-the-counter, without a prescription.  The same types of creams that you may have used just for moisture, are also available with AHAs added.  This means you get moisture, plus a reduction in scaling. 

Which AHA will work for you (lactic, mandelic, gluconolactone, etc.) is a matter of trial-and-error.   Some types work better on some people than others.  You will also have to experiment with strength, to find what works best for you.  AHAs can sting and burn (sometimes this feeling goes away in a couple of minutes, sometimes it goes away after you've used a product for a few days, sometimes the irritation never goes away and that particular cream is just not a good choice for you) and cause other reactions.  If you're trying AHAs that you've gotten yourself, over-the-counter, you'll need to have a sense of adventure tempered with common sense.  You need to be adventurous enough to try new products (and give them a fair shot...probably two weeks before making a final determination about whether it's a good one for you or not), but at the same time use your head. If you've had problems with adverse reactions to creams in the past, try just a "test", a very small patch of skin first, to make sure you're not going to have a violently negative reaction to a new cream.  This is the same advice I give myself.  I have creams that I've used for 20 years, and am still very happy with.   But I've also forced myself to try new products, and have been able to significantly improve my skin by using them (three such products are Epilyt, PDS and Dermal Therapy).

In fact, I layer creams and lotions on my body.  I use at least two creams, right on top of each other.  First, I use a thin layer of Epilyt lotion all over.  Then, I always use a custom-compounded cream: Velvachol with an AHA added (my favorite is 20% gluconolactone; I've also used 10% lactic acid or 10% mandelic acid).   Velvachol is, of course, water miscible.  The AHAs that I have compounded in it (which require a prescription) are those that I have found, through trial-and-error, work for me. I personally find that I get the best results yet by layering the products.   Then, I add a third layer of lotion--Curel or Neutragena are my favorites.  This combination is what, for me, keeps me moist and controls my scaling the best.

Make Your Own!

Some people with ichthyosis have determined that the creams and lotions that work best for them are those that they make themselves.  Below are "recipes" that have been used by people with ichthyosis this way:

• Six parts aloe vera Vitamin E lotion, one part glycerin or lanolin

• Boric Acid powder added to Keri Lotion

• 32 ounces mineral oil, 160 grams petroleum jelly, 125 grams parafin, and a small amount of nice smelling bath oil to act as a perfum. Use a double boiler, and slowly heat up the ingredients, so they can blend   together.  As soon as the ingredients have combined,  let it cool, and transfer it to containers (empty cream jars, etc).

• One part water, one part glycerin

• One part water, one part propylene glycol

• 6-7 ounces lactic acid, one pint propylene glycol, one gallon water  (technically you can get lactic acid without a prescription, but your pharmacy may request one).

My point is that there are lots of good products out there; better and better products are being introduced every year.  You need to give them a try, and find out what works best for you.   You need to become a fairly savvy consumer.  Pay attention to the ingredients, and learn which ones you like best.  For moisture, some people swear by a product that has petrolatum, or lecithin, or silk.  For exfoliation, some people love Lactic Acid, others hate it (it itches and burns on their skin too much).  Most people settle into that one favorite product that they're comfortable with.  But knowing the ingredients that work best for you will enable you to more quickly identify new products that would be promising for you, and better shop prices--some products have similar ingredients, but very different prices.  Sometimes the higher price is worth it (better grade ingredients, better quality control, from a reputable manufacturer), and sometimes it's not.  You may decide you want to start making your own cream.   You can achieve a significant improvement in your skin by using the right creams for you.  But like anything else worthwhile, it's a lot of work finding the right cream!

Have Something that Works for You?

E-mail me and tell me about it so I can add it here.

Aaron wrote: