a very sick me

The surface of the skin is composed of a lipid-rich layer that provides a barrier to evaporation of water. When this layer loses lipid, the skin becomes more scaly and flaky, commonly called “dry skin”.

Unpleasant as it may seem, the condition is readily ameliorated by application of petrolatum or other greasy emollients within minutes of the bath or shower.

At some point estrogen was suggested in older women as protective against dry skin, but the longer-term disadvantages of hormone replacement therapy outweigh any such benefit.