With the weather turning colder, many may feel their skin beginning to pinch with seasonal dryness or itchiness. Running the heat in the home and office only dehydrates the skin faster, increasing the irritation. It’s fairly common to get this dried-out feeling around this time of year and unfortunately, not many people know exactly how to cure it.
Quench The Skin’s Thirst
Adding enough moisture to suffering skin, especially after a bath or shower, is the first step toward relief. Those experiencing dry skin on the face as well should be sure to add the right kind of moisture to to skin. Those with a combination skin type with patches of oiliness and dryness will require a face cream containing both oil and water to balance the skin's natural moisture. Year-long dry skin will require an extra emollient cream containing oil and hydrating Vitamin E. Finally, oilier skin types should stick with a water-based, oil-free moisturizer to avoid overloading the skin with oil.
Estheticians, dermatologists, and skin care specialists are the best place to start when searching for an improved face cream. Decoding complicated ingredient labels and advising best treatment practices is their specialty.
Avoid Over-stripping The Skin
For dry and flaky skin, avoid exfoliation, masks and facial peels until the skin can heal. It’s a common misconception that dry skin needs to be exfoliated all the time; sometimes, this is true – as when the dryness is caused by excess skin build-up. But if the winter wind and chill is the culprit, then using scrubs and masks will only add to the dryness.
For everyday cleansers, using a glycerin-free facial wash is the best practice. Glycerin can over-strip the delicate facial skin of its natural, healthy oils, leading to more dryness. Gentle, cream-based moisturizers designed for the face are ideal for use in the winter. They can be used to cleanse daily, following a soft, gentle makeup remover.
Wear That Sunscreen
The sun doesn’t take a break in the winter, and neither do those UVA and UVB rays. Too much sun exposure, especially when combined with dry winter air and cold gusts of wind, causes increased dryness. With the rays bouncing off that glaring snow bank, it’s best to be prepared. Even indoors, the skin is at risk: damaging UVA rays can penetrate windows. Applying an SPF 30 every day will prevent damage, which will mean less dry-skin rehab later on.
Take Care of Drying Hands
Tp prevent damage to the hands, gloves should be worn outdoors to prevent cold-weather chapping. A good, thick hand cream stashed in a desk drawer at work can aid in combatting the harsh soap in the bathroom. Excessive use isn't necessary if regular care is given to the hands and the right cream is used. Hand creams containing shea butter, a lightweight natural moisturizer that seals off the skin cells to store their own moisture, is the best comfort to dry, cracking hands.
Avoiding cold exposure and caring for the hands regularly, just as the face, will prevent dryness.
Treat The Feet
With sandal weather a distant memory, feet are often the first to be neglected… and the first to start itching. Dry skin and callous build-up on the soles can prevent moisturizers from properly absorbing, unless home pedicures are continued well into the winter months. Regular pumice stone sessions and a good foot cream are the best course of action.
An alpha-hydroxy foot cream will moisturize while gently sweeping away dead skin cells. As an alternative, shea butter and glycerin containing creams will absorb deep into the pores and increase skin's moisture retention. After moisturizing the feet, wearing a pair of cotton socks to bed will help the cream to better absorb overnight and reduce dryness for the long-term.
Cool It
Really, really hot, steaming showers are fabulous in winter time but can lead to uncomfortable skin pinching in due time. Steam opens up the pores and drains the skin of its natural moistur. It’s best to avoid hot water altogether, as ‘the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture” (Davis, 2007). Instead, stick to a warm temperature somewhere in the middle of the dial.
Reference:
- Davis, S. 10 Winter Skin Care Tips. Web MD. Retrieved October 19, 2009 from http://www.webmd.com
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