Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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While I never watch the Today show, this morning I found myself checking out the weather forecast (it's cold and snowing here in Ohio). The skin-care-tips people came on to tell us how to care for our skin in the dry winter weather (the segment used Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale," oddly, as its musical interlude).

We had sugar treatment lip care, Aveeno moisturizer, and leave-in conditioner. One woman advocated humidifiers and keeping more plants in the household, along with bowls of water, to disseminate water (perhaps the only suggestion I could wholeheartedly advocate without squirming). Then, for dietary advice, we had "lots of nuts," (squirming now) salmon, and avocado (for Omega-3s...ok I'm with the salmon...not sure about the avocadoes). And, of course, antioxidant-containing foods (what does this even mean?).

What say ye in paleo-response fashion? For me, I just apply coconut oil when I get out of the shower...

flag	asked Jan 8 2011 at 15:00 wjones3044 10k●19●56

Does the oil stain your clothing? – April Jan 11 at 5:41

kilton · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-08 15:04:28Z UTC

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Yep -- coconut oil and a humidifer take care of business for me.

answered Jan 8 2011 at 15:04

kilton
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Christo · Answer 2 · 2011-01-08 16:00:45Z UTC

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lay off the soap,essential spots only, and get a shower filter if on municipal tap liquid

answered Jan 8 2011 at 16:00

Christo
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Checkout Richard Nikoley's very popular article on his no soap or shampoo experiement: freetheanimal.com/2010/12/… – PrimalEric Jan 8 2011 at 16:06

Eliz · Answer 3 · 2011-01-08 16:59:24Z UTC

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Don't use soap and leave your skin's natural oils intact! Eat fat so you have natural oils to begin with. Works for me anyway. :) The only thing that gets dry is my lips and I use Badger lip balm for that.

answered Jan 8 2011 at 16:59

Eliz
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Oh, forgot to add...don't shower every day either! Unless you are getting really dirty for some reason. – Eliz Jan 8 2011 at 17:16

TheOriginalKaz · Answer 4 · 2011-01-09 00:50:11Z UTC

Oddly enough, for the first time this winter I am supplementing K1/K2 (Life Extension, 1 mg K1, 1 mg K2 m-4, 0.1 mg K2 m-7 dosed 2x or 3x per week w. D3 drop or two) and I have yet to get chapped lips. Have only used chap stick on a couple of bitterly cold/windy days, all other late spring and winter days nothing. Skin on fingers is a little dry but not nearly as chapped as last year. Keep humidity at ~ 35% when I'm home, it is lower at work.

Tom · Answer 5 · 2011-01-08 15:34:24Z UTC

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This might be a really, really dumb question, but can I use the same coconut oil that I use for cooking?

answered Jan 8 2011 at 15:34

Tom
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I used to coconut oil once as a substitute for shaving cream a couple times. And I used the same coconut oil that I cook with. I found that you have to wait a couple minutes for the coconut oil to soften the hair first not like shaving cream. I'm thinking once this can of shaving is gone I might switch over to coconut oil. – Trevor Jan 8 2011 at 16:06

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Yeah, same stuff. – kilton Jan 8 2011 at 16:27

When I cook, after spooning the semi-solid coconut oil into the pan, I cannot resist cleaning the spoon on my hands and rubbing them: it smells so good! If you spend some time in the kitchen and handle soaps and hot water, you want to moisturize your hands often, but regular lotions are a bad idea: with coconut, there is no need to wash your hands before handling food again, neat! – Paola Jan 9 2011 at 2:28

chantilly · Answer 6 · 2011-01-08 21:45:53Z UTC

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I slather my body with organic jojoba oil after a shower... It's enhanced with botanicals and smells divine, and absorbs well into the skin.

answered Jan 8 2011 at 21:45

chantilly
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bsunde · Answer 7 · 2011-01-08 22:42:49Z UTC

Sorry to vent here, but I have a small pet peve about the words "skin care." One does not "care" for their outer layer of skin. It may look dry or flake or whatever but the skin is already dead. The way to keep your living skin underneath from truly being damaged is to avoid sun over-exposure.

That said, one method for avoiding the dry look that hasn't been mentioned so far is to use a humectant (draws moisture from air into skin) like glycerin or honey. I prefer this to oil as oil tends to get a little greasy on my skin and get on my clothes or pillowcases.

Kaz · Answer 8 · 2011-01-08 23:48:19Z UTC

As delicious as hot showers feel on freezing-cold mornings, turn down the heat on the faucet a bit, since hot water is particularly drying.

And I second coconut oil as a moisturizer. Or olive oil, since it tends to be less comedogenic.

Sara S. · Answer 9 · 2011-12-13 14:02:22Z UTC

My hands get very dry and cracked, especially in the winter. I've found that rubbing a small amount of warm (liquified) tallow into my hands (or just getting it naturally from handling fatty beef) works wonders. I remember back in the day lanolin was all the rage, and I figured tallow would be similar. For some reason jojoba oil and coconut oil aren't quite enough for my hands.

NewPaleon · Answer 10 · 2013-01-11 05:35:59Z UTC

Lately my fave face treatment is mashed avocado mask. After washing with a gentle cleanser, I slather on a layer of avocado and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I take a warm, damp washcloth and gently wipe it off. It is just the right amount of moisturizer for my skin. I can then apply a sunscreen on top if I'm going outside or leave it alone if I'm going to bed.

Cara · Answer 11 · 2011-01-09 21:45:44Z UTC

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jojoba oil & OCM. that's the best :)

Cara http://primroseandpaleo.wordpress.com

answered Jan 9 2011 at 21:45

Cara
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What's OCM and where/what form do you get the jojoba? – NewPaleon Jan 11 at 14:02

Michelle · Answer 12 · 2011-01-11 02:03:42Z UTC

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I use lotion from tropical traditions, the unscented.

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_moisturizing_lotions.htm

if my skin is severely dry I mix in a little pure vegetable glycerin.

answered Jan 11 2011 at 2:03

Michelle
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RamyRomio · Answer 13 · 2013-01-11 05:07:41Z UTC

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If you have winter dry skin then you can use a facial serum or oil under a thicker-formula moisturizer and for a oily Skin: Use an oil-free serum and oil-free moisturizer.

Herbsonline

answered Jan 11 at 5:07

RamyRomio
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Knarf · Answer 14 · 2013-01-11 05:50:06Z UTC

I never had much of a skin issue, but I have tried virgin coconut oil and even a bit of olive oil on the skin right after showering, and it's pretty good. I'm a no-poo guy, so I don't let nasty chemicals touch my skin very often. Most of of the time it's just a coarse brush and water that's not too hot.

Maybe once a month I'll make a homemade concoction to scrub with, but I feel diet and proper hydration has more to do with skincare. Pay attention to what makes you break out or have dry skin, and then it's just a matter of tweaking from there.

Winter paleo skin care tips?

14 Answers