'I tried the Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel when I left my regular products on holidays. It changed me.'

Some days I can literally feel the moisture being sucked out of me. 

I will do my usual moisturising routine, smothering myself in body butter, but an hour later I notice my legs are a bit scaly, and my skin has lost that lovely dewy feeling. 

It’s one of the joys of being in your 50s! It’s like my skin just needs constant hydration.

Dry skin can be a symptom of menopause, and as your hormones plummet, your skin can get dry, slack and thin. 

Your oil and sweat glands get less active when you age which makes it harder to actually keep your skin hydrated. 

Combine this with indoor heating and your precious moisture just evaporates! But it’s not all bad - with the right sort of product you can lessen this impact and still keep your skin moist. You just have to find one that works. 

I’ve tried all sorts of moisturisers – from the super expensive where I had to forgo a mortgage payment, to the completely natural stuff made by yoga goddesses on a full moon while their cycles aligned. 

In terms of impact? Nothing. 

Then, last weekend I went away and forgot to grab my case of face and body products.  

Yes, I have that many! I did, however, have a new unopened jar of Bio-Oil Skin Gel which was in my handbag. 

I’ve used Bio-Oil Skincare oil before, it's that beautiful fine oil that a lot of us have used on our stretch marks and our acne scars. 

Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel is for dry skin, not for scars and stretch marks. But that's why I bought it. 

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I got such great results in fading the scars that I thought: you know, Bio-Oil helped me back then in my moist breeding years, maybe now I’m drying up in my 50s, they’ll be able to help with that as well!

So I tried it. 

It has the intense hydrating power of an oil, in an easily absorbed gel format.

The lovely thing about the gel is the texture - it absorbs really well and a little goes a long way.

I put it on my face and entire body and it just drank it up. It felt instantly moisturised, and unlike other products that feel like they sit on the surface, this feels like it goes into your skin.

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I hate moisturisers that sit on your skin surface. They never seem to permeate into the deeper levels and they just make you feel slippery.  

The other night I nearly fell out of my shoes because the slippery cream I had used meant I couldn’t get a grip on my platforms.  

But Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel made the skin on my feet supple and I could still wear my heels without slipping out! 

With other products, I feel like I have to keep using them every hour. 

But this one isn’t just hydrating, it’s occlusive, which means it helps seal in moisture. 

It’s such a well-priced product product it’s hard to believe how a small amount is effective in helping my dry skin. 

Within two days of using Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel while I was away, I noticed a difference. 

Now, I've introduced it into my daily routine – which for me is morning and night, and I am loving it. Two weeks later I can definitely see the benefit. 

Apparently, the average moisturiser contains about 70 per cent water. That means most of the water evaporates on contact with the skin. But Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel contains only 3 per cent water. The product is formulated with 13 per cent humectant which helps retain moisture and 84 per cent oil which helps to protect skin from moisture loss.

I love it. 

My skin is looking and feeling better than it has in 10 years. And even better, I have been able to ditch the lotions, potions, creams and body butters, for just one tidy little product!

Always read the label. Follow the instructions for use.

Feature Image: Instagram.