The weather is turning colder, which means your skin is probably starting to show signs of winter dryness, like painful cracks and flaky skin. Dry skin is a very unpleasant feeling but fortunately there are steps you can take to help you skin retain moisture and stay healthy this winter.
1. Shower or bathe less and when you do bathe, use warm water rather than hot
I know, nothing feels better than a long hot shower when it’s freezing outside. But did you know, hot water strips your skin of its natural moisture and oils? Just think about those dirty pots and pans in your sink. When you want to get all that grease off, you soak those pans in hot water. But hot water can strip away the good with the bad and can remove the moisture helping keep your skin hydrated. If you simply can’t skip the long, hot bath, try using bath oils, moisturizing soap, and make sure to lather on the moisturizer afterwards. Which leads us to….
2. Find a great moisturizer and use it daily
There are lots of lotions, creams, and moisturizers on the market but not all are created equal. You want to look for a moisturizer that not only makes your skin feel better right now, but helps your skin stay moisturized for longer. Look for ingredients that lower your TEWL (transepidermal water loss) like Cupuacu Butter. Cupuacu Butter not only nourishes your skin, but it helps your skin retain the moisture already present. Also keep in mind a great time to moisturize is right after you shower, when your pores are still open. You can also apply moisturizer right before sleeping to your hands and feet and wear gloves and socks as a DIY skin treatment.
3. Use gloves for cleaning
It’s hard on your hands to repeatedly expose them to hot water and cleaning supplies. Invest in a good pair of gloves, disposable or rubber, to use when washing dishes, cleaning sinks, and other household chores, to keep them from unneeded exposure.
4. Use lotionized hand soap
Hand washing is a reality of life, but even infrequent handwashing can leave your skin vulnerable. Choose a soap that has an emollient of some kind to keep your hands moisturized even when lathering up. Bar soaps are pretty, but most of the time they don’t contain any kind of moisturizing ingredients.
5. Wear sunscreen – seriously
It may be tempting to skip this step, but sunburn can happen in the winter as well as the summer. Not only are you getting the direct rays like summer sun, but the snow can reflect those rays back up from the ground and cause snow burn. And snow burn means dry, itchy, flaky skin. If you do end up with snow burn, invest in a high-quality after sun moisturizer to help rejuvenate your skin.
For more information on our BoaVida Recovery Cream, Lotionized Hand Soap, or our After-Sun Recovery Cream please visit our Amazon listings or e-mail us at sales@centralsolutions.com.