Petroleum Markets

The hardest thing about telling you how to find the best body lotion for extra dry skin is that I also have to tell you what to avoid in lotion for dry skin. And I don't think you'll quite believe me.

Not that I'll lie. But the most common ingredient in lotion for dry skin is found in nearly all of them. So how could I possibly know what I'm talking about? And how do I expect you to avoid it? But please, hear me out. I'm speaking from hard experience, and a lot of due diligence.

No matter how expensive, or how heavily advertised, nearly every lotion for dry skin uses, as a main ingredient, a petroleum byproduct. It could be listed by many names: it's mineral oil, also called liquid paraffin, paraffin wax, petrolatum or petroleum jelly. All of these are slightly different forms, or just different names, for the same stuff. It works by coating the skin with a greasy film to keep in moisture. The problem is, it also clogs the pores, interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, encourages acne, and worst of all in a lotion for dry skin -- it strips the natural oils from the skin, causing worse dryness than ever as soon as you stop using it.

So why is it everywhere? It's cheap. And probably most important, because manufacturers have been getting away with using it for so long as a major ingredient, while they spend millions on advertising some other "special ingredient" that you can only hope is really effective.

So please, don't take my word for it, but check the labels and try a lotion for dry skin that skips the petroleum products. And I'll tell you about the best body lotion for extra dry skin I've ever used. I tried it in the first place partly because it comes with a money-back guarantee, which is one of the things I now insist on when I try a skin care product.

The best body lotion for extra dry skin must contain the same quality ingredients as a great facial lotion for dry skin, or it's not going to work well. How can our bodies moisturize as well with anything less than we'd put on our faces?

Here are some of the ingredients in the body lotion I recommend:

-- Olivem 800, made from natural olive oil, hydrates and rejuvenates the skin. Olivem 800 contains an extremely effective natural emollient (skin softener).

-- Jojoba Oil is a moisturizer that makes the body feel soft and velvety,, reducing wrinkles and stretch marks. It's particularly great for oily or "combination skin." Jojoba oil helps to balance your skin's sebum, evening out the infuriating oily and dry areas of combination skin.

-- D-Panthenol, which is natural Vitamin B5. It's a great help for repairing dry and damaged skin tissue and acts as a natural moisturizer. It also protects the skin naturally against sunburn, helps relieve existing sunburn, and enhances natural tanning.

-- Grapeseed Oil is well-absorbed and still creates an invisible film on your skin, with no greasy feel, to keep in moisture. Grapeseed oil is rich in linoleic acid for skin nourishment and it contains natural vitamin E.

-- Phytessence Wakame, a trademarked extract of Japanese sea kelp that is packed with the B vitamins for skin nutrition and blocks the breakdown of hyaluronic acid, the "glue" that keeps the critical skin proteins collagen and elastin in a strong matrix.