During the winter months, the weather gets colder and the humidity drops. This means that your skin loses moisture and can get dry or painful. If you do not know how to keep your skin soft and moisturized during this time, you could even end up with cracks or scabs in your skin. If you struggle to keep your skin moisturized, or with dry skin in general, here are some of the top ways of keeping your skin healthy during the winter.
Keep a Humidifier Around and Use It Regularly
By keeping a humidifier going during the winter, your skin can stay hydrated. It keeps extra moisture in the air, which prevents those painful little shocks when you touch anything metal, too. You should have a humidifier going in the rooms you are in the most, including the bedroom.
Make Sure to Expose Your Skin to Less Heat
It may seem counterintuitive, but during the cold months you want to keep your skin away from heat. This means taking warm showers instead of hot showers. Also, keeping the temperature of the house as cool as you can tolerate, too. This keeps as much moisture in your skin as possible, no matter what type of weather is going on outside.
Use Fragrance-Free Moisturizers and Cleansers
Most moisturizers and cleansers with fragrances have alcohol as the base of the fragrance. Alcohol is known for its drying effects. By eliminating the ingredients that dry your skin most, you keep more of the moisture in your skin. You want to make sure to cleanse your skin regularly and use a moisturizer often, especially on any exposed skin like the face and hands.
Always Put on Sunscreen
Many people forget to use sunscreen in the winter because it’s cold outside. You think you will not be hanging out or sunbathing due to the cold weather, so why put on sunscreen? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the snow can reflect a lot of light. The truth is, as much as 80% of the rays coming off of the sun are reflected at you when those rays hit the snow. If you forget your sunscreen, not only can you get a sunburn, but you can also cause damage to your skin. This could result in issues like age spots or skin cancer.
Stay Hydrated
Nutrition is a vital way of making sure that your skin stays hydrated during the coldest months of the year. Along with drinking plenty of water, eat foods that will also keep you hydrated. These foods include omega fatty acids, as they help keep damage from happening in the cells of your skin. Try to avoid salt, because it dehydrates all your tissues.
No matter what the weather is like outside, your skin needs moisture to stay healthy and pain-free. What you do and what you put into your body make a difference when it comes to your skin staying fully hydrated and moisturized. The harsh winds and cold temperatures really affect your skin, so take the time to care for your skin during the winter. Take care of your skin daily through cleansing and moisturizing, plus making sure you eat and drink the right things to benefit your body. The more you can do to take care of your skin now, the longer your skin can go without seeing or feeling the negative effects that winter weather can bring. Complete Family Dermatology can help guide you throughout the year to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized.
