kiesta, it is amazing on cracked and broken winter skin. My kids get that if they are outside much in the cold and I have psoriasis (atypical because I can't be typical in anything, can I, lol!). Most commercial products end up irritating my skin or even causing allergic reactions after a while. It is one reason I started concocting skin care products. another thing that is awesome on cracked dried out skin are sugar scrubs. NOTHING is easier to make, but buying them costs a fortune. You just put regular sugar, the kind from 5 lb bags, into a small container, add enough oil to make a loose paste and if desired a bit of essential oil that you like. There are all sorts of places online where you can learn about what essential oil does what for skin. Stir and use as any commercial scrub. You can use larger sugar crystals like sugar in the raw if you want, but mostly it just ups the cost, in my opinion. I did twelve containers of "candy cane scrub" for xmas gifts in less than fifteen minutes. I usually use canola oil because it doesn't spoil easily. The sugar is actually a preservative in that quantity so it will keep for a couple of months with veg oil or canola oil. It hads to be refrigerated if you use olive or jojoba oil as the main oil. Canola or veg oil is cheaper and works just as well so i don't bother. I used about three drops of peppermint oil per 1 cup container - it was super cheap, esp with a homemade label (done with a sharpie so it wouldn't smear or run the way a printed one would) and everyone thought it was super luxurious. Two people asked where I bought it and three others wanted to know how I made it. ALL were stunned at how easy it was and said it was a LOT better than the ones they got a bath and body works.
For skin that was super dried out I would put maybe a teaspoon of pumpkin seed oil in the scrub if I didn't care what color it was. Pumpkin seed oil turns things a sort of brownish green that is pretty unappealing - so nothing made with it goes into a clear container, lol. If you do the shea butter cream, you can add a little bit of melted beeswax for a firmer consistency. add enough beeswax and you have an awesome lip balm and cuticle cream. I re-use altoid tins, and jars like carmex comes in to keep this stuff in. Sometimes if I want to make a lot of little containers I get the empty paint containers like come in paint by number sets. Hobby stores like hobby lobby and michaels sell them cheap and they are great for homemade lip balm, creams, etc.... IF you ever want to do a girl party making homemade spa products I have a TON of recipes. J's fave birthday party combined learning csi type things like fingerprinting, etc... and making spa products. Not sure HOW she came up with wanting to do that, it was all her idea and her friends, but it was fun.
If you want to know if difficult child really did use something or go somewhere, fingerprinting is fairly easy. A bit of cocoa powder or flour, some clear tape, and a fluffy makeup brush and a magnifier are all you need. Well, and a copy of his fingerprints - a stamp pad or marker and white paper is all you need for that. My dad showed me years ago and it has been very handy with a lying if his mouth is moving difficult child. Anyway, if you want spa recipes, body care recipes, etc... let me know.