Winter is in full swing. Dry skin is more than just rosy cheeks! In the wintertime, due to cold and wind outdoors as well as dry heat indoors, you can experience dryness all over your face, hands and feet. Flaking and cracking are the most common symptoms of winter-challenged skin. Face it. Your skin will dry out! Here are a few tips to help get through the winter months.
1. Use more moisturizer. You may have been moisturizing all summer, but due to the extra challenges of the season, what worked last summer may not work at all well for you in the winter. Unless you have severely oily skin, you may want to look for oil-based products rather than water-based products. Oil-based products create a protective layer for your skin, minimizing wind-burn, chapping, and general dryness. When choosing a moisturizer for your face, be sure to look for a non-clogging version.
2. Always use sunscreen. I know! It’s winter. It’s snowing. The wind’s blowing. But the fact is when even cloud-filtered sun hits that highly reflective snow, it is going to bounce all over the place, giving you more and more exposure to UV radiation rays than you usually find in the summer. This is particularly true for those of you who plan on skiing during your vacation. Higher altitudes make for thinner air and greater UV exposure. Your skin will suffer damage in less than thirty minutes without proper protection.
3. When you go outside in the cold, wear dry gloves to protect your hands.
4. Find a lotion that contains glycerin or petroleum jelly to use on your feet.
5. For the whole body, take a bath using an oatmeal base can alleviate your overall dry skin