Although not always on your mind, your skin is the most vulnerable part of your body and the part that gets roughed up the most, especially in harsh weather environments. Your skin should be given great care but many times it gets left out in the cold. If you forget your gloves, scarf, or boots on a wintry day you are at risk for numbness, frostbite, and at the very least, you will be uncomfortably cold if any of your activities are outside. In the summer, if you forget your hat or sunscreen, as many often do, you are at high risk for dry and itchy scalp, sunburn, and the scariest of them all: skin cancer.
I was at the dermatologist recently to get to the bottom of a curious rash I had on my neck—hoping it wasn’t due to the new perfume I had received for Christmas and merely a rash of winter skin—and while a three-minute appointment may be sufficient for a prescription and a smile, I wasn’t impressed. The good news is that my rash went away after a couple of days of ointment, but all my questions about the victim of winter—dry problem skin—were left unanswered. Do you have cracked, dry, itchy skin just dying for the oily, sun-bathed nature of summer? Find out how to recreate summer skin while suffering through the doldrums of winter.
Skin is sensitive to the elements and, while there are many other factors that can lead to dry skin, for some reason the cool winter air seems to make skin feel worse than any other time of the year. Skin can look sickly, pale, and “parched” because it is severely dehydrated. Your skin may itch often flake off, crack, chap, or peel as a result of extreme dry conditions.
Dehydrated skin is worsened by wind and extreme hot or cold temperatures (even from unnatural sources such as furnaces, fireplaces, and even air conditioners). As your skin draws tighter around your bones it can become powdery, unattractive, and can flake off, causing unnecessary discomfort.
The best source of keeping your skin—and especially your lips—hydrated is the easiest prevention because it is free: water. Drinking lots of water can keep the inside of your body cleansed and hydrated while maintaining the health of the outside of your body, but if you are already dehydrated drinking an excess of water will probably not help.
In the shower, remember to massage the skin while washing to stimulate circulation, and keep the water away from the “hot” dial on your tub. While hot water is great to stand under when it is cold, the heat (just like your furnace) is stripping your skin of its oils along with the soap you are using. Aloe vera products can be beneficial as well as lotions, creams, or oils with calendula, comfrey, tea tree oil, or colloidal oatmeal, as found in many drug or grocery store personal care aisles.
By using lukewarm water, more will be absorbed in the skin throughout the bathing process and you can rejuvenate the skin. When you get out of the shower, resist the temptation to wipe all the water off right away and jump into your clothes. Pat down your skin with the towel instead of wiping, so the skin stays slightly moist, then slather on a moisturizing lotion to keep the softness all day.
If your skin is extremely sensitive, you may want to stick to the baby care aisle in order to make sure you do not have a reaction—a lot of adults use baby lotions and oils to protect their skin—besides, most have a great scent.
Remember not to smoke or use harsh chemically-enhanced products on your skin. Maintain a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and stay away from high-fat foods, processed treats, or diuretic substances like caffeine or alcohol that can strip the minerals from your skin.
Another cheap, important way to keep your skin radiant: Get enough sleep each day to ensure optimum cellular repair at night.
Beyond the elements, dry skin can be caused by other conditions such as genetics, your oil glands may not lubricate the skin correctly, you may have a poor diet and/or deficiencies in vitamins A and B which can damage skin health, you could have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), or a more serious skin condition. Please consult your doctor if any of these conditions apply because these natural remedies may not work for you or they may counteract any current medications. Regardless of how your skin got dehydrated, make it glow again now so you will want to show it off once the warm weather emerges.
