Posh Beauty // 8 Ways to Keep Winter Skin Moisturized & Eczema Free

A few months ago I had a real breakdown over the condition of my skin. Like, 'uncontrollable scratching, real tears, go directly to Patient First without passing go' kind of breakdown. I had to cancel a business call and drag the teen out of the house on a school night, and even wearing my clothes felt painful. That experience was enough for me to finally decide that, well...enough is enough.
I've set a beauty goal for 2015 to be vigilant about getting control over my extreme eczema. I'm waging all out war on it: the dry, dark, itchy patches of skin; the unexplainable rashes; feeling self-conscious about marks on areas like my face and neck; sometimes being unable to sleep because of the inflamed skin and irritation--all of it. Thankfully, through proper diet and caring well for my skin, I can minimize the effects. If you're dealing with something similar, here are a few ways we can combat it together:
Internal

Detox Starting each day with lemon water or hot water apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a great way to naturally detox. ACV helps to restore our bodies to their normal PH balance which often gets thrown off throughout the day when we consume things with high acidity, like coffee (I consume a lot of coffee y'all. It's like, my last frontier of dietary vices. I haven't been able to kick it for more than a few months at at time).
Hydrate Drinking lots of water and staying hydrated daily is key for supple moisturized skin from the inside out. I try to spice up my regular water with lemon or lime; and I alternate still water with coconut water and sparkling water so that I don't get bored. I am absolutely obsessed with VOSS water, as my girl AB can attest. It's hard to find in my neighborhood, but plentiful in hers, so I'm constantly asking her to stock up on my behalf.
I also really dig Yogi Teas for all things internal healing. They've got a yummy Cinnamon Vanilla Healthy Skin and a Skin Detox tea that I get often.
Supplement Taking a Daily Multi, Vitamin E, Fish Oil Pills and/or Niacin (Vitamin B), can help boost the internal properties that contribute to healthy, supple skin.
Go Green Lots of veggies like kale, spinach, Swiss chard and avocado (which is technically a fruit, but it is also green) are packed with antioxidants and Vitamins A and C which skin gets lots of lovin' from. Experiment, taste test and figure out what options work best for you.
External

Store-bought Lotions I have to moisturize about every two hours (literally) to really stay moisturized and I've found that the lotions that work best for my whole body are Shikai Borage Therapy (which I first mentioned here and it's still going strong) and Cetaphil moisturizer. I've also become a big fan of Nubian Heritage; though I try to stay away from too many things that are fragranced or scented, their products work wonders on my hands and feet, where the skin is less sensitive.
Essential Oils Essential oils are the Holy Grail of skincare, and it will be vital for me to continue with a regular regimen using oils like Calendula oil (for calming inflamed skin), Rosehip oil (for stimulating cell regeneration and reducing the appearance of scars), Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil (which has Omega 6s--I talked a bit more about it over at COCOTIQUE.com), lavender oil, tea tree oil and almond oil. They’ve been my saving graces.

Cold Water/Short Showers
Cold water or mist is really great for calming the inflammation that comes with eczema. I did not know this, and I am one of those people who showers with the water temperature on "scalding", so I was quite literally setting my skin on fire every single day. Lesson learned: take lukewarm to cool showers that last for no longer than 15 minutes; and I'm passing along the gospel because maybe I'm not the only one who didn't know....hopefully.
Emotional
Don't Stress! Another thing I've learned the hard way is that the rashes on my skin become more heightened and uncontrollable when I get stressed out about them--or about anything really. I break out in hives, and the whole mess is anything but posh. So if you're anything like me and your skin is even sensitive to your emotions, let's both learn to keep calm and moisturize.

Do you suffer from severe dry skin too? What are some of your tips for keeping your skin healthy? I showed you mine, now show me yours (in the comments). Merci!