Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Dry skin means lack of water, not lack of oil. Skin creams function by creating a temporary barrier on your skin that seals in water.
In the late
1940's, a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital took a hard
callus off the foot of one of his patients and placed in oil. It
remained as hard as ever. Then he placed the callus in water
and it became very soft, but soon after being removed from the
water, it became very hard again. Then he left the callus in water
until it became soft, removed it and then soaked it in oil and it
remained soft for a long time. He had shown that dry skin should
be treated by using oils and creams to seal in moisture. Cosmetic
manufacturers soon produced oil-in-water emulsions which were
incorporated into creams designed to seal in water.
However, some studies show that oil-in-water emulsions
soak off the outer layer of skin and increase its susceptibility to
irritation from cold, rubbing, and various chemicals that you may be exposed to, such as ingredients in cleaning products or cosmetics.
The longer skin is immersed in water, the more protective outer
coatings of skin is stripped off. Take quick showers and decide
for yourself whether using a cream or lotion helps you or not.
All lotions and creams work the same way, no matter
how much they cost or what special ingredients they claim to
contain. Just pick one that feels and smells pleasant to you.
Checked 2/1/08