Winter-Proofing Your Skin
Is your skin ready for winter? We’re going to provide you with a few winter skin care tips to help you protect yourself and your skin during the cold, dry months.
How to Prepare Your Skin for Winter
Switch to a Thicker Moisturizer
Moisturizing is the single easiest and most important thing you can do for your skin during the winter months. When the air is intent on sucking all of the moisture out of your skin, it’s up to you to invest in a moisturizer that protects your face and body from losing too much moisture. If you have eczema cream on hand, you’re already at a big advantage. Any over-the-counter eczema cream or oil-based moisturizer is going to be an excellent tool in your winter-proofing wheelhouse. When you use a moisturizer that’s specifically tailored to dry skin, you’re making sure that you’re replenishing your skin’s natural oils. This is why many dry skin moisturizers are typically oil-based. Not only will you be ensuring your skin doesn’t lose its natural oils in the cold weather, but you’ll also be giving your skin an extra protective barrier to help it stand up to the harsh winter elements.
Resist the Urge to Take Scalding Hot Showers
Hot showers might feel nice, but they’re not necessarily doing your skin any favors during the winter. If you want to winter-proof your skin, you need to make sure you aren’t accidentally stripping it of the natural oils and lubricants it needs to protect itself. Unfortunately, a hot shower will do exactly that. While this doesn’t mean you need to take cold showers all winter long, it’s worth considering turning the temperature down just a touch. The point of your showers is to clean the skin and set yourself up for the day, not to hurt your skin further. When you’re done in the shower, make sure you’re gently patting your skin dry instead of rubbing your rough towel along your body. Being gentle with your skin can help it retain its protective oils and lubricants, too. Try moisturizing soon after your skin has been cleansed.
Consider Using a Humidifier
When you want to protect your skin from the cold, dry air of winter, it’s important to provide it with as much moisture as possible. That means putting moisture back into the air, too. Just as the air outside loses its moisture, so too does the air inside your house! In fact, forced-air heating systems are notorious for contributing to dry air and dry skin in the winter. So if you want to give your skin a hand this winter, it might be worth investing in a humidifier to use in your house. Doing so will help add some much-needed moisture back into the air of your home and help your skin better protect you against the elements. When there’s more moisture in the air, your sinuses are less likely to get irritated, which can also provide a better sleeping space.
Taking care of your skin during the winter might seem tedious, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re not suffering from a dry skin rash every other day. If you have questions about how to winter-proof your skin, don’t hesitate to set up an appointment at North Pacific Dermatology Specialists today.