Fashion

9 Tricks To Keep Elbows & Knees From Looking Dry

Your elbows and knees take a ton of abuse. Every time you rest your head in your hand, kneel down to grab a pencil, or lean on your arms while typing, you're pressing your skin up against tough surfaces. After seeing the results of that constant pressure, treating elbow and knee dry skin might seem like an impossible venture. Truth is, it doesn't take drastic life changes to smooth out patches of roughened skin on your bendy parts. Still, a couple globs of hand cream probably won't be enough to rejuvenate those super-dry areas.

After all, these parts of your body contain a buildup of dry skin. You know more than anyone just how much scratching and additional damage your precious joints sustain every day. The good news is that there are many easy tweaks you can make to your daily grooming and beauty routines to prevent rough patches on your elbows and knees.

It's all too likely that nobody's noticed the patches except you. Still, little things like switching out your soap and using an exfoliator on the reg can be worth it. Even if you're getting some relief from the itchiness and general discomfort that come with dried-out elbows and knees, a little TLC pays off. Speaking of, here are nine easy ways to replace those tough spots with soft and smooth skin.

Get Under Cracked Skin With Japanese Green Tea Leaf

Cerapix Topical Butter Cream , $15, Amazon

When your elbows are so dry that skin is literally cracking, this powerful tropical butter cream uses grape seed oil, cocoa seed, shea butter, and Vitamin E to the rejuvenate them. It penetrates deep beneath your layers of dried-out, scaly skin for hydrating moisture where your body craves it most. Moisture is best absorbed by dried-out skin when you're fresh from the shower, so time it perfectly to make the most of this intense moisturizer.

Buff Off Dead Skin Cells To Let Moisture Through

Brush & Body Care Kit , $35, Amazon

This packable body care kit comes with four different heads, letting you customize your exfoliation experience. There's a large brush for your body, and a soft one for your face, plus a body exfoliator and pumice sphere to make dry skin a thing of the past. It's water -resistant, making exfoliation in the shower simple. Plus, its invigorating vibrations will kick-start your skin's cell turnover.

Dead Sea Salt Exfoliates, Leaving Hydrating Jojoba Oil Behind

Double Love Body Scrub, $24, Amazon

This luxurious body scrub combines moisturizing Jojoba, Grape Seed, Aloe Vera, and sweet almond oils to exfoliate and replenish your skin. Formulated with essential Lavender Oil to leave an invigorating, all-natural scent behind, users say it smells fresh without being overpowering. It also has Dead Sea Salt which is known to increase circulation. Good news for those damaged skin cells!

Bar Soaps Can Strip Skin, Try Organic Body Wash Instead

Puracy Natural Body Wash , $13, Amazon

While a bar of soap is fine in the short run, it's actually more dehydrating for your skin as time goes by. Switching out your soap to this organic mixture might be the change your knees and elbows need to jump-start their hydration. It contains Sea Salt to purify and restore balance to your skin, and a coconut-based moisturizer to prevent dryness.

Exfoliate In The Shower With Varying Textures

Loofah Body Exfoliating Pads , $11, Amazon

The best time to exfoliate is when your skin is after a steamy shower, when you're extra-hydrated. This set of two loofahs helps you take advantage of that time without making a mess. The rough side scrapes off dead skin, while the softer, cushioned side gives you the option of performing a lighter hand exfoliation if desired. Bonus: a couple handy hooks at either end make it easy to hang up loofahs for hygienic air-drying after. Genius!

Go Heavy-Duty With Lactic Acid When Other Creams Don't Work

Callus Rough Spot Cream , $15, Amazon

Don't give up on topical solutions just yet... This callus cream doubles as a moisturizer for those especially rough patches. It exfoliates stubborn skin with Lactic Acid, then nourishes the new cells beneath with Jojoba oil and natural plant extracts. That means it won't irritate sensitive skin. Papaya Extract adds antioxidants into the mix, and users say it softens skin without leaving a sticky residue behind.

Soak Your Dry Knees & Elbows In Coconut Oil

Coconut Milk Bath, $35, Amazon

If exfoliating only exacerbates irritated skin on your knees and elbows, take the opposite route with this hydrating coconut milk bath. Angry skin will absorb moisture and nutrients, while the homemade mixture of oatmeal, sweet almond oil, and Vitamins A, E, and more nourish skin cells. One user even said she works this product into her grooming routine as a foot soak, when she doesn't have time for a bath.

When Topical Treatments Don't Work, Get Moisture Into the Air

Ultrasonic Humidifier, $35, Amazon

When topical ointments and creams aren't doing the trick, help your skin along by literally surrounding yourself with moisture. This ultrasonic humidifier comes with a stone filter, keeping the water inside from becoming pungent like in other humidifiers. There are seven LED colors, as well as an essential oil diffuser to infuse your room with your favorite aromas.

Use Gel-Padding To Alleviate Pressure On Your Elbows

Belkin WaveRest Gel Pad , $7, Amazon

If you're spending hours in front of the computer every day, you're probably spending just as much time resting your weight on your elbows. This best-selling gel pad will provide tender skin with additional cushioning to keep a bad situation from getting worse. It's lightweight, so adjusting in the moment to favor different spots is easy. Not to mention, users say it's stable and won't slip around while you're typing. What's not to love?

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