Wallet-friendly Yet Powerful Relief for Winter Dry Skin

When the heating goes on, I know it’s time to break out my heavy-duty moisturizer. For a few years now, I’ve suffered from excessively dry and itchy skin on my legs. In addition, I’m always washing my hands here in the trenches with the kids, so the skin on my fingers also gets cracked and chapped.

When this problem first came on, I went to the dermatologist.  Relief came in a bottle (thankfully, not the kind that gives you a hangover).

Ammonium Lactate instantly cured the terrible itchiness, and because I had to spread it on with my hands, they consequently became smooth and moisturized. (I love icing two cakes with one spoon.)

Ammonium Lactate 12% Lotion:  No Longer Rx Only

Good news. While doing research for this article, I found out that Ammonium Lactate has just recently been made available over-the-counter.  And I noticed that Amazon is selling a 14-ounce bottle for $15 (about half the cost you’ll find at pharmacies).

Ammonium Lactate, an organic compound made from the ammonium salt of lactic acid, is also available under the brand names Hydrolac, Lac-Hydrin, Laclotion, AmLactin.

The only downside of Ammonium Lactate is that it has not been given the green light for pregnant or nursing women (due to some iffy trials with rats). When I was expecting Luke (now three months old), my doctor suggested a great alternative:  CeraVe cream or lotion.

CeraVe Lotion:  Prescription Strength but Over-the-Counter

CeraVe cream and lotion work as well as Ammonium Lactate (even though they’re not quite as thick-feeling), and you don’t have to make an appointment with a doctor to get a refill.  (CVS sells it for $14 for 12 ounces.)

According to their website, CeraVe is the only skincare line with Multivesicular Emulsion delivery technology, which used to be available only in prescription formulations. It also contains ceramides that moisturize skin and help maintain the skin barrier.

Both of these lotions have helped me weather even the driest forced air heat without feeling like my skin could be used as a stand-in for cracked earth.

Tip: My doctor recommended spreading the lotion on right after bathing, to seal in the moisture.  Also, if you need it for your hands, let the lotion absorb for several minutes before rinsing or washing your hands.

I’m still on what is becoming a very unfrugal quest for a non-greasy but effective face lotion.  What works for you?  Please let me know in the comments section.

Photo credit:  cracked mud

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18 comments

  • ggshirley March 27, 2014, 9:58 am

    May I suggest one more product which has never been under RX but works immediately and the only draw back I can find is…. the initial aroma which quickly dissipates? The web site sounds like it a miracle product! In my family (over 2 generations) it is a miracle!!! Here is the link:
    http://hygradelotion.com/product.html

  • Niella April 3, 2013, 1:59 am

    Years later…

    Ha. :p Not sure if you are still using ammonium lactate, but…do you know of a brand that doesn’t have nasty chemicals like parabens?

    • Amy April 3, 2013, 1:55 pm

      Hi Niella,

      Good question. I’m sorry that I haven’t investigated all the ingredients to these creams, but I know there are lots of knock-offs now. Maybe if you cruise the aisles of the drug store, you could find something that fits the bill.

      Good luck,
      Amy

  • Rita June 14, 2011, 2:31 pm

    Hi Amy:

    I was looking at your site because I was looking up ammonium lactate 12%. I am trying to find out how to make it. Anyway, I found a better price than Amazon. It’s a 14oz bottle at healthwarehouse.com. It’s $13.00 plus free shipping!! Just thought you’d like to know.

    Thanks.

    Rita Montague

  • Hilary March 5, 2011, 11:31 pm

    I use Origins Perfect World Moisturizer on my face. (Sunscreen formula for day, regular for night).They run about $35 each, but they last forever. I just dip the tip of 2 fingers in and that is more than enough to moisturize my dry dry dry skin. I love it!

    • Amy March 7, 2011, 10:05 am

      Hi Hilary,

      Thanks for the recommendation! I like when a lotion has day and night options.

      I appreciate it,
      Amy

  • Amy December 3, 2010, 11:05 am

    Hi e,

    Wow, gorgeous website, that http://www.meaningfulbeauty.com. And who would’t want to look a smidgen like Cindy Crawford? No fair if she’s airbrushed though! The product line looks pretty affordable actually.

  • e. December 2, 2010, 7:42 pm

    You have to order it online. I joined during an infomercial! You can check it out at meaningfulbeauty.com.

  • e. December 2, 2010, 1:29 pm

    Hi, Amy. I’ve been sucked into using the Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty products. They are actually very nice. A little pricey (not too bad…but the whole system is about Aprox .$50 a month). You choose which products you like after purchasing the first package at a discount. I figure I’m (or my face) is worth it after all these years of Noxzema (which I still use!) and Eucerin Q10 (which I really liked as well). I do feel embarrassed when the package arrives and my husband raises his eyebrows (at least)… But I use the scrub and mask and the toner (I love it!) and feel better… The daytime and nighttime moisturizers are not greasy, are light, and feel very nourishing.

    : )
    e.

    • Amy December 2, 2010, 4:16 pm

      Hi e,

      I had never heard of the Cindy Crawford line! Is that something you get through a salesperson, like Mary Kay. I used Mary Kay for a while, and was very happy with it. I enjoyed the social interaction too, but then the pressure to buy or become a salesperson became too much and I defected.

      So funny how you feel embarrassed when the package arrives! But if it works for you, I agree you should go with it. It’s so hard to find the right product for our individual skin types.

      Thanks for writing in!

      Amy

  • Liz December 1, 2010, 11:41 pm

    Hi Amy,
    What a great post, I’m headed to the CVS on 72nd & 2nd Ave. tomorrow. I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving. We’re all well, but miss seeing you in the school yard.

    Fondly,
    Liz

    • Amy December 2, 2010, 4:17 pm

      Hi Liz,

      I remember that store! Miss it — along with you all. I hope one of the lotions work for you!

      p.s. I noticed that in Target they keep them behind the counter.

      Thanks for writing!

      Amy

  • Sarah Eiley Cowherd December 1, 2010, 2:40 pm

    Hi, Amy! Did you by any chance see my homemade moisturizer on the crafts table at MOPS today? I have been slowly doing away with ALL commercial body care products and have been learning to make my own. I’ve had some hits and some misses – it’s hard spending lots of money on ingredients up front without being sure if something will turn out right. I use Orgnaic Extra virgin Coconut Oil for cooking and baking a lot and have started using it for a variety of homemade body products, from eye makeup remover to hand cream to personal lubricant to hair conditioner to body lotion for the whole family. You can buy the Nutiva brand at wegmans for about 60 cents an ounce or in bulk online for less than 30cents/oz. I use soaperschoice.com or mountainroseherbs.com.
    The moisturizer i made recently was part beeswax, part coconut oil – a video tutorial is on hardlotion.com. :)

    • Amy December 1, 2010, 3:42 pm

      Hi Sarah,

      I did! And I tried some. I think that would work great for my body, but would probably make my face too shiny, an eternal problem of mine. How do you use it?

      Thanks so much for all these great ideas and resources you have. I’ll look into them for the ever-elusive facial moisturizer.

      Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

      Amy

  • Sarah Hickok December 1, 2010, 10:01 am

    When I had dry skin years ago, I was told: dove unscented soap to wash with, cetaphil lotion for body lotion. My favorite “lip stuff”: vaseline petroleum jelly. not so much environmentally friendly but very frugal. I don’t know how “frugal” cetaphil is but it worked wonders.

  • Amy November 30, 2010, 9:46 pm

    Hi MakingTime: Yes, I hate how lotion feels slimy too. Amazingly these lotions I mention are absorbed into the skin and don’t need to be reapplied all day. So that slimy feeling only happens once.

    Jen, I know, the air in winter is so horribly dry, especially with forced air heat. I hope someone suggests a face cream too! If not, I’m close to finding some good solutions. :-)

    –Amy

  • Jen @ Jen Spends November 30, 2010, 6:54 pm

    Very timely article! My skin gets horribly dry in the winter and I don’t really have a go-to product that works. I’m going to see if I can find either of these around here…if not I’ll just order online. I hope somebody can suggest a good face cream, because that is something I have yet to find!

  • MakingTime November 30, 2010, 3:03 pm

    I have a good face cream my mom gave me but I don’t remember the name…

    I use 100% lanolin on my hands at night. I doubt that’s frugal, but it does a good job. I need a better solution during the day, though. I wash my hands all the time (not because I’m obsessive, but because I’m either working in the kitchen or cleaning poopy diapers or wiping noses, often all at once and I do think I need to wash my hands after the poop before going back to preparing the sandwich!) and I hate how lotion feels slimy and not clean when I wash my hands after putting it on.