Winter Skin

The winter months can get very cold, sucking the moisture out of the air and leaving us with a very dry environment.

This dry environment can be hard on our skin.

Now when you add the winds, freezing temperatures and indoor heat the dry air will become much worse, and as the temperatures drop so does the humidity and humidity below 30% can really wreak havoc on your skin.

This dry environment will create winter skin where  the moisture is sucked out of your skin leaving it feeling itchy and dry.  Chapped lips, dry cracked hands, and dry skin can accompany the winter cold.

If you are a little older, like myself, our body does not have the same ability to make natural oils as when we were younger so as we age our skin can dry out a lot quicker so it’s important to keep it hydrated.

Many people who suffer from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis find that the wintertime can aggravate those conditions making them much worse than usual. During the winter the skin becomes more sensitive so breakouts are much more common.

Those tradesmen, mail carriers, deliver people and others who work outside using their hands, can find this dry harsh environment will leave them with dry cracked fingers and hands.

Keeping your skin moisturized can help combat the effects of dry winter skin, but simply using a natural soap and applying moisture is not always good enough.

Winter Skin Tips

 Some winter skin tips to help you this winter

• Always wash in warm water – hot showers and baths will take more of the natural oils from your skin leaving it drier.

• Apply moisturizer to your body as soon as you step out of the bath or shower, applying it to your damp skin to help seal the moisture in.

• Know what is in the moisturizer you put on your skin, some can actually dry your skin out more depending on the ingredients.

• It’s a good idea to exfoliate before applying moisturizer, as exfoliating will remove the dead skin cells, making it easier for the moisturizer to penetrate your skin.

• Stay away from soaps that contain harsh detergents.  Try and use natural soaps that will help to moisturize your skin.

• Drink lots of water, you may not think you need as much water as you would in the summer when it’s hot, but yes you do! Water helps to hydrate our skin from the inside, out.

• Make sure you are eating a healthy diet and getting the right vitamins. Vitamin C and zinc help to support the production of collagen and elastin, which will help to keep your skin hydrated.

• For those dry rough patches of skin an intensive moisturizer may be needed something like Hemp Butter will help for dry cracked skin.

• For those with conditions such as eczema and psoriasis wool fibres can really aggravate the sensitive skin and should be avoided. If you must wear wool sweater or long johns, make sure to put a layer underneath such as a cotton t-shirt.

You may also want to read “Itchy Skin? Can Natural Soap help itchy skin? Where there are some natural remedies that can also help with winter skin.

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