Has anyone else had incredibly dry skin?

Well, I have incredibly dry skin, but I've never had chemo.  I have psoriasis, and the docs are arguing if I have CREST. (This is a type of scleroderma, which means 'hard skin'. If I have it, its at an early stage.)

I need to use something like every hour.   For me, ointments stick a little better than creams, but they don't 'work in' as well.

For me, I prefer the generic Eucerin when I'm in the mood for something water soluble.  I use vaseline when I'm into oily, and I like Cornhusker's (the active ingredient is glycerine, I believe), which is very pleasant, but doesn't last very long. 

Chemos can definitely cause skin stuff.  What chemos are/were you on? 

Well, Avastin doesn't seem to be associated with dry skin in a Pubmed search.

I don't know if you have had any rash, blisters, etc. before this peeling skin.  I also do not know if that is of any importance.

But it sounds like for Taxotere-it can be full of skin reactions. It sounds like peeling skin can be part of a scenario for which you need to contact your doctor - it sounds like normally it starts with a rash/eruptions, then gets peeling skin.  But of course I am not a physician or dermatologist of any kind. 

Taxotere recommendations at this citation say to contact your doctor for ...peeling skin (severe)

 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR601849 

This is from the package insert:

p. 19

Cutaneous: Localized erythema of the extremities with edema followed by desquamation has 

been observed. In case of severe skin toxicity, an adjustment in dosage is recommended (see 

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION section). The discontinuation rate due to skin toxicity 

was 1.6% (15/965) for metastatic breast cancer patients. Among 92 breast cancer patients 

premedicated with 3-day corticosteroids, there were no cases of severe skin toxicity reported and 

no patient discontinued TAXOTERE due to skin toxicity. 

http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2004/020449s028lbl.pdf 

I would notify your doctor about this (besides using the cream/oinment/lotion of choice), unless of course you have open sores. In the same package insert it says

p. 30 

Cutaneous: rare cases of bullous eruption such as erythema multiforme or Stevens-Johnson 

syndrome. Multiple factors may have contributed to the development of these effects. 

I have never been up close and personal with a cow, so I don't know personally about Bag Balm, though I have seen it regularly recommended by quilters.  Some say they don't like Bag Balm's slight medicinal scent.

Cornhusker's does have a slight scent (it does contain Fragrance).  To me it smells slightly like soap, but I have been told I have a poor sense of smell.  Cornhusker's is oil free, so less likely to stain.

My generic Eucerin Cream contains lanolin which causes allergies in some people.  I don't know if the brand Eucerin does.  Some people like Cetaphil, which is also water-in-oil.

Now, I'm just new to the field of dry skin.  This Pubmed article implies that it may be necessary to tailor therapy to the specific cause.  But it does say that petroleum jelly has an immediate effect on repairing the stratum corneum.  This paper is from Sweden, so I am assuming its less likely to have pharmaceutical bias, particularly if they are promoting petroleum jelly in some cases.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14572299

It sounds like there is more research to be done. with the treatment of dry skin.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17300239

So, in conclusion, it seems like I was hasty in recommending anything, as we don't have a lot of scientific data.  One abstract recommended petroleum jelly as repairing one layer of the skin, but it is oily. 

if you can take vit. E capsules...i have found they help the skin