Taming the Winter Skin Blues

If you suffer from dry skin during the cold winter months, you’re not alone. The reduced humidity extracts moisture from the skin, making it dry and itchy. And other things can aggravate it: your diet, work, age, harsh chemicals and more.

Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to help protect and prevent dry skin:

• If you frequently wash your hands, use a skin cream that contains natural oils to keep your hands soft and supple.
• If you use a hand sanitizer, make it a moisturizing one, so you can keep your hands clean without drying them out.
• Protect your hands against soaps, cleansers and chemicals by wearing vinyl or non-latex gloves.
• Outdoors in cold weather, wear gloves to protect your skin.
• Treat skin cracks right away with a protective waterproof coating to help improve healing.
• Take baths and showers less often and keep them short. Use lukewarm water and very little soap, or a soap substitute. Gently pat your skin dry; don’t rub it.
• Add a hint of color to your face. Use a cream with self-tanner in it, or make your own, by combining one part self-tanner with one part face lotion.
• Use a humidifier if the air in your environment is very dry.
• Include a moderate amount of good fats and unsaturated oils, like olive oil, in your diet.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Take antioxidants, such as Vitamins C and E, which help maintain healthy skin.
• Avoid cigarette smoking.
• Seek advice from a professional if your skin is persistently dry or becomes inflamed. It could be a sign of a more serious medical problem.

See our skin care products.