mine is also from personal experience. i have lived most of my life in the high altitude desert, some of the driest, harsh and extreme weather in the states. i grew up with horribly dry skin, scaly legs, feeling it so tight after a shower i thought it might rip, split fingers in the cold, weird hand rashes from intense cold and sun at the same time, etc, etc, etc. finally after a few years of cleaning up and simplifying my diet, removing every allergen, taking care to not place any environmentally stress(ie weird lotion, soaps, even hot water) on my skin, getting enough water and trace minerals(sodium, potassium, cal/mag) vitamin a and d my skin is amazing. i dont have to use mosturizer after a shower, i shower twice weekly and my skin isnt ashy or scaly, its soft, smooth, tight and clean. i use a body brush in lieu of soap and only take warm showers. you will have to really feed your skin and body first, and start experimenting with natural moiturizers, jojoba oil is a great one for most people, look into oil cleaning too, you might have skin so irritated that its best to wash it this way. like gs said, the solution will not be instant, its a lot of personal experimenting and takes an investment of time and patience...