It is 37 degrees today which is a veritable heat wave given the past 3 weeks. It’s warm enough the heat pump actually stopped running a few hours ago for the first time in days.
At least, I assume that is why the heat pump stopped running and not some darker, more expensive reason.
The problem with a heat pump is it blows cool air. When you are already cold, having a cool draft blow around your head does not bring you joy. Instead it makes you think longingly of radiators while you go in search of another layer to put on.
All the sliding glass doors and French doors don’t help either. Double paned maybe but still a chill comes off those 36 square foot areas of glass. Not to mention the little gaps from the ‘settling’ of the French doors that I am constantly finding & plugging. Or from them sticking & therefore not being shut all the way by the people using them.
I spend most of my days in an undershirt, a long sleeved shirt,a sweater, warm socks, and slippers. Sometimes wearing fingerless gloves, sometimes with a fuzzy shawl on top of the whole ensemble.
And that is just to surf the internet.
If I want to take out the garbage or meet the boys bus I add a scarf, a hat, a heavy coat, sheepskin boots and mittens to the look and shuffle my way outside.
The only time the house feels actually warm is when I come in from meeting the boys bus. It has apparently been slowed by the cold & has run 7-12 minutes late nearly every day. Meaning I have to stand out in wind chill, with nary a patch of sunlight to be found at this time of year, for upwards of 15 minutes at a time.
The dry heat pump air and the dry wind chill air have combined to make my skin feel like sandpaper. Do you know what it is like to have an itch under 5 layers of clothing? I thought I was going to die Friday from the non stop skin itching.
Turns out I am allergic to Burt Bees Peppermint soap products, so that at least resolved some of the problem.
I bathe with Aveeno moisturizing body wash. I use Cetophil over my whole body. I drink water by the gallon. I am seriously contemplating taking a bath in baby oil.
It itches! Dear god it itches! And where it doesn’t itch it hurts from cracking.
It’s not even mid-winter yet! Spring is two and half months away!
If the electric bill doesn’t bankrupt us the body lotion will.
17 comments:
Keep a bottle of baby oil in the shower. After washing (just when you are ready to get out) apply a thin layer of baby oil over all the dry itchy parts. Your pores are open from the heat of the shower and the oil absorbs better at this point. A few days doing that should provide some relief. We keep baby oil in the shower year round now!
Ugh! I hope you get some relief soon!
I hate dry skin with a passion. Needless to say, I go through alot of lotion too.
that stinks :( I live in a basement apartment so I can relate to how you dress. I do the same thing! My skin is dry lately too, but I think it is a hormone issue for me. I hope you find something that works better for you, right now I'm just using lotion but not getting much relief.
Oh bless you love. I get dry cracked, itchy hands. not fun. not fun at all. Hope you get better soon!
You want to know when it's really dry? When I start trading moisturizing secrets with my wife.
Yeah, we're there now. Fortunately, I don't have the cracked fingertips like she does... those seem nasty.
Oh, poor you xx I have really sensitive skin and I'm prone to exczema so I know all about the itching, believe me! I echo Cheri's tip about applying your moisturiser of choice while you're still damp from the bath or shower. Hope your skin improves soon xx
Hi Stacey! That dry/itching is the worst! Hope you find a solution that works for you soon - I love baby oil too :)
That baby oil idea works. Hope you get some relief soon -Keep warm -C
lol lol...I feel your pain. It's warmer here but we live in a drafty 2 story and my computer's on the first floor. I'm more often than not wrapped in a blanket at the computer
Oh how uncomfortable. All you bloggers in winter wonderland are really make me appreciate where I live all the more. Stay warm.
Poor you! We found Body Shop Cocoa-Butter Body Butter helped J. when his hands and face got very chapped and started splitting. Don't know if you have a local Body Shop, but it's worth a try. Here they do small trial-size pots, so it would cost less to try it out.
The other thing that relieves itching for me, is neat "Aloe Vera Gel" (not lotion containing A.V. but the actual stuff, straight from the plant.) There are a couple of brands available in UK, but they come from Aus, so may be available wher you are too.
I also echo Cheri's comment about baby oil in the shower!
Hope you find some itch-relief very soon.
oh goodness. You poor thing. Looks like you already have been given tons of great advice.
You poor thing!
We use Udder Cream on my youngest. Her poor hands get so dry in the winter, they actually crack and bleed, but this stuff seems to help quite a bit.
My ex is a contractor and can't wear gloves in the winter when he's working so his hands were always horrible. He used to use ... I think it was Witch Hazel?? Shoot. Maybe cornhusker's lotion? I can't remember now - but it was a yellowish/greenish bottle and we found it at Walmart at the time.
Ugh! There is nothing worse than a constant itch. Hope it gets better for you soon.
I feel your dry skin pain! My Mom, a heavy duty sunbather in her day - always soaked in baby oil bath.A friend who is a nurse suggests shea butter. Good luck!
I feel your dry skin pain! My Mom, a heavy duty sunbather in her day - always soaked in baby oil bath.A friend who is a nurse suggests shea butter. Good luck!
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