Milder expressions of the genetic trait are a little scaling on shins or on arms. It is not a disease. It does no injury, but can be annoying. About 50 percent of the afflicted have a family history of atopic eczema, the kind that comes in childhood in the folded body areas, and about 30 to 40 percent of people with eczema have ichthyosis vulgaris. The inheritance chance is 50 percent if one of your parents have it, called autosomal dominant inheritance.
Lactic acid seems to be a better compound to rub on twice daily.
Urea creams and lotions can be useful also if 20 to 25 percent. One prescription form is 40 percent. Ichthyosis vulgaris looks ra, but isn't. You can at least swallow this one, unlike some of the proverbial fish tales. One summer I caught a fish so big that the negative of the picture I took weighed eight pounds.