The winter months not only bring chilly weather, but also dry, flaking, or cracked skin along with the colder temperatures. Chapped lips and bitter skin can make the winter months uncomfortable and brutal. Here’s a list of skin care tips for preventing dry skin during the winter months, for those of you looking to find some relief through the changing weather.
Tips to Preventing Dry Winter Skin
- Stop Taking Hot Baths: Take a lukewarm bath to protect your skin from dryness. Mixing in a small amount of oatmeal or baking soda with your bathwater will also help.
- Slow Down on the Peels: Stop using peels, masks, or astringents because they strip the oil from your skin. Instead switch to masks that are characterized as deep cleansing, or incorporate cleansing milk or alcohol free toners in place of peels.
- For Dry Feet: Use petroleum jelly-based products or glycerine for extra strength foot moisturizing. Additionally, the use of exfoliants on your feet will remove dead skin and allow the previously mentioned “heavy duty” moisturizers to be absorbed by the skin quickly.
- Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Drinking water will help your skin slightly. With that being said, if your body is more healthy overall, then bodily functions will be less taxed and operate more efficiently and allow for healthy skin.
- Unpack the Humidifier: To counter the skin drying effects of central heating, set up humidifiers to replenish the air with moisture and help prevent excess skin dryness.
- Drying Effects of Wet Gloves and Socks: They simply irritate the skin and can cause cracking or even promote eczema.
- Help Your Hands: Keep your hands warm and use gloves when going outside. If wool irritates your hands, slip on a thin cotton glove as a protective barrier.
- Sunscreen in the Winter?: That’s right, sunscreen in in the winter. This is because the sun’s rays are reflect off the snow and these rays plus the direct rays are both absorbed by the skin.
- Moisturize: Increase the frequency of moisturizing and switch to an oil based moisturizer, because of the extra strength required during the winter. Humectant moisturizers contain ingredients that attract moisture to the skin as an added bonus.
- Visit a Specialist: f you’re uncertain about what products to use or its impossible to find relief contact a local dermatologist for advice.
Looking for relief from your dry skin? Contact Four Points Dermatology to make schedule an appointment. Four Points Dermatology is the best Austin dermatologist that can help provide advice and solutions for avoiding dry winter skin and other dermatological services.
