Lips. Since the lips have few sebaceous or oil glands, they tend to become very dry, especially during the winter months. Licking the lips is not a solution since that practice will further dry the lips as the saliva evaporates into the air. Moisturizing the lips should become a regular part of your routine. Apply a lip balm or Vaseline to the lips several times a day. A lip balm that contains SPF 15 sunscreen is even better because it helps to prevent the lips from darkening in color from sun exposure a problem for many Black women. A brand I recommend is Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer SPF 15, Avon Moisturizing Lip Treatment SPF 15 or Chapstick Lip Sensations. Applying moisturizing lipstick will also help keep your pucker soft all day. Finally, consider using an overnight lip-moisturizing product (Chapstick Oyernight Lip Treatment) that you apply at bedtime and repairs cracked lips while you sleep.



Elbows and Knees : Exfoliate these areas daily by using a lotion or cream that contains glycolic acid, lactic acids, or urea. Examples include Eucerin Plus Lotion, Amlactin Lotion, or Cannol. If these areas are also darker in color than the sur­rounding skin on your arms and legs, as they often are in many Black women, apply a skin bleaching cream to lighten these spots after the lotion. (More on skin­bleaching products in chapter 3.) Don't rub or scrub the areas (they are not dirty) and try to avoid kneeling or leaning on the knees and elbows, which makes the problem worse.

Hands. Use only mild soap to wash hands as needed throughout the day and apply a rich lotion to moisturize. Because the cleansers in public washrooms are extremely drying, you should take a bar of mild soap in a soap dish to work with you to use in the ladies' room. Purchase a hand protectant such as Theraseal or Lipocream, and apply to hands throughout the day to provide a protective barrier between your hands and the environment. Wear rubber gloves when you wash dishes or perform wet housework. Remember to put thin white cotton gloves on (you can purchase them in any drugstore) before you put on the rubber gloves. The cotton gloves provide a barrier between your hands and the rubber gloves, which contain ingredients that can trigger an allergic reaction. Cotton gloves also absorb perspiration, preventing irritation and rashes. Try to avoid wearing latex or vinyl gloves for long periods of time and never wear them overnight. Carry a rich hand cream (Neutrogena Hand Cream or Avon Hand Cream) in your purse and apply it many times throughout the day, especially in cold weather. Be sure to wear cold-weather gloves throughout the winter to avoid dry, cracked hands. If you develop cracks in your fingers, apply a glob of Vaseline to the area several times a day. If they do not heal after a few days, then see your dermatologist for medicated ointments.

Feet. Use a pumice stone (usually found in the Dr. Scholl's section of the drug store) in the shower every day to exfoliate the dry areas, typically the heels and balls of the feet. Rub the pumice stone on the surface of the foot very gently. Do not try to remove all of the dead skin in one session (this will only irritate your skin). Instead, remove a small amount each day for a month and then use it weekly for maintenance. Apply a rich moisturizer (Eucerin Lotion, Avon Intensive Dry Patch Stick, Amlactin Lotion, or Aquafor) while feet are still damp morning and night. If you have really rough, cracked heels and toes, soak your feet before bedtime in mild soap and lukewarm water, apply a thick moisturizer, and cover the feet with plastic wrap for two nights, then switch to cotton socks. They should be softer in a week. If the white flaky skin on the sales persists, you may have a fungal infection called tinea pedis. Consider applying an over-tl1e-counter antifungal cream such as Lotrimin AF or Lamisil nightly for two weeks. If you see no improvement, consult a dermatologist. See a podiatrist for treatment of persistent corns or bunions.

Myth : Dry skin causes wrinkles.

Foet : Wrinkles are not caused by dryness, but by years of sun damage and facial expressions. To prevent wrinkles, apply sunscreen every day. Moisturizer can temporarily lessen the appearance of "fine lines".