Winter Skin Care Tips to Take Care of Dry, Itchy Skin in Winter
Dry Skin in winter is a common problem for which you need to know and follow Winter Skin Care Tips from the very start of the winters. Due to lack of the humidity in the winter cold air, your skin is stripped of the much needed natural oils and moisture. Bitter winter winds also lead to chapped and cracked skin. On top of that indoor heating systems dry inside air too, which aggravates the drying effect on your skin further.
Winter can be a particularly difficult time for your skin. Find out what you should be doing to keep your skin from falling victim to dryness, cracking and irritation this winter. Image courtesy of sippakorn FreeDigitalPhotos.net
You have to be extra cautious, if you have a skin conditions such as dandruff, psoriasis or eczema, as the winter might flare up these conditions further.
In this article are outlined Winter Skin Care Home Remedies to keep your skin moist and healthy throughout the winter months.
1. Use a humidifier, a Winter Skin Care investment: In winter as you keep windows closed and use heating system to keep your home warm, the air inside can become very dry in winters which can worsen your dry skin conditions. Use a humidifier to compensate for the moisture lost due to the heating system. If you cannot buy an expensive humidifying system, go for smaller, relatively inexpensive humidifiers and place two or three (or as required as per area of your home) of these inside around your home to humidify the dry air which will not only be good for your dry skin but also for sinuses. This is an effective natural winter skin care tip.
2. Avoid over-washing with hot water: In winters you are tempted to immerse yourself in a hot bath. Do you know that hot water strips the oils from your skin? If you are prone to dry skin, this will do you more harm than good. To nurse your dry skin, the solution is to keep your showers and baths short and use lukewarm water instead of hot water.
3. Apply moisturizer: Immediately after taking shower or bath apply moisturizer. This will help in sealing the moisture to your skin and works as a good Winter Skin Care tip.
4. In winter, use Moisturizer frequently. Also Consider changing your moisturizer to an oil based moisturizer in winters. We are giving here below Winter Skin Care tips about selecting best moisturizer for winter months:
(i) Choose your moisturizer keeping in mind weather conditions. In winter, use a moisturizer that suits winter conditions – that is an “ointment” moisturizer which is oil-based. Such moisturizers consist more of oil (say 80%) and less of water (say 20%). This water-in-oil emulsion forms a protective layer on your skin that helps in retaining more moisture than a cream or lotion.
(ii) However, be careful while choosing oil ingredients in the moisturizer as all oils are not good for face. Look for “non-clogging” oils, such as avocado oil, almond, mineral oil or primrose oil. Shea oil (butter) is contentious, as it can clog facial pores. Vegetable shortening is a bad idea, it just sit on your skin and is greasy.
(iii) Go for the moisturizers which contain vitamins and other ingredients which will keep your skin healthy and supple.
(iv) Moreover, ointments are particularly beneficial when humidity is low. Be careful not to use ointments on those parts of your body that tend to get hot and sweaty.
(v) Other good options are Moisturizers / Lotions containing “humectants” (like glycerin, sorbitol and alpha-hydroxy) that attract moisture to your skin.
(vi) Moisturizers are available as oils, creams and lotions. The choice you make largely depends on the dryness of your skin and your tolerance for the greasy feel of the moisturizer. Oils are greasy and slippery, but they seal in moisture well. Creams aren’t as greasy, disappearing when you rub them in, and they also trap moisture well. Lotions tend to add the least moisture, but they absorb quickly so they don’t feel so greasy. However, many lotions contain alcohol, which helps quicken their absorption. Alcohol causes dryness as well, so you should try to avoid lotions that include it [source: University of Iowa Health Care].
6. Winter Skin Care Tips to protect against Windburn: Cold winter wind causes a nasty skin condition known as windburn. When the wind repeatedly rubs against your skin, its friction acts like sandpaper. Like sunburn, windburn can turn your skin into red, raw and blistered. To prevent windburn follow following natural skin care tips for winter:
(i) Use Moisturizer: To fend against the wind and to trap moisture in your skin, use a thick, heavy cream.
(ii) Petroleum Jelly: Petroleum jelly not only obstructs the wind from touching your skin, but is a strong moisturizer as well.
(iii) Hat and Scarf: Your face is really vulnerable to windburn. A sky mask helps keep off the wind from your face. Protect your head, neck and face by wearing a hat and a scarf. Also keep covered your sensitive ears, as they are susceptible to infections in cold conditions and cold wind.
(iv) Aloe Vera: If you still get windburn, apply aloe-vera to help heal burned skin.
7. Skin Care Tips for winter to protect you from Winter Sun: It is not that you need sun protection in warmer months only. It may be cold outside, but sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays remain strong. It’s a myth that sunburn is associated with heat. The sun’s reflective powers are great year round – 17% on the sand and 80% on the snow. No matter what the temperature may be outside, you can get sunburn in the sun. Following are preventive skin care tips for winter that you can take to protect you from getting sunburnt:
(i) Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen or sunblock to your face and your hands of at least SPF 15 or higher before you go outside. If you stay outside for a long time you need to reapply it, as the winter weather will dry it out.
(ii) Don’t forget your lips. Too much sun exposure can lead to dry, cracked lips and, over time, can cause skin cancer. Like sunblock for the rest of your skin, your lip balm should be SPF 15 or higher. You’ll need to reapply lip balm often during the day [source: American Academy of Dermatology].
(iii) Avoiding sunburn means avoiding the sun, and that means covering up. Wear a hat with a wide brim that shades your entire head, including your ears and neck. Also, don’t forget to wear shades that include UV protection and cover your sensitive eye area [source: WebMD].
(iv) Now a days, several products are available that combine oily, moisturizing cream with sunscreen. If you are unsure of which product to use, ask a dermatologist.
8. Hands’ Winter Skin Care Tips: Your hands’ skin is thinner than on the most other parts of your body and has few oil glands. To protect them you may wear gloves when you go outside. If you want to wear woolen gloves, slip on thin cotton ones first to avoid irritation and itchiness on your hands.
9. Feet’s Winter Skin Care Tips: In winter to take care of your feet you need a stronger moisturizing stuff that contains petroleum jelly or glycerin. Also apply exfoliants to your feet to get the dead skin off periodically.
10. Avoid harsh and alcohol based products: If you have dry skin problem, avoid using harsh peels / face packs, and alcohol based astringents or toners. Rather use a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser or a toner without alcohol as ingredient. Do not use clay based masks (they strip of moisture from your face), instead use those which are deeply hydrating.
11. Avoid wet Socks and Gloves: They can irritate your skin and contribute to itching, sores, or even eczema.
You know it’s important to wear warm clothes and shoes during cold weather. However, you might not realize that how you layer your clothing can also affect your skin’s health. Avoid wearing itchy fabrics like wool next to your skin. Try to wear softer, less abrasive fabrics, like cotton, closest to your body in order to let your skin breathe. Also, keep in mind that if your clothes become wet, you should change into dry clothes as soon as possible — wet clothes can irritate your skin [source: American Academy of Dermatology].
Do you know what’s in your daily beauty and grooming products? Formulas that work well with your skin most of the year might suddenly irritate those sensitive tissues in the winter. For example, many common anti-aging ingredients can cause irritation and redness, and the winter weather can worsen these side effects. If your usual warm-weather routine irritates your skin during cold weather, try switching to mild and unscented products that will be gentler on your skin [source: American Academy of Dermatology].
Follow the above outlined Winter Skin Care Tips to treat your dry and itchy skin in winters to have a clear, charming and glowing face.
We recommend, if you are having persisting acute dry and itchy skin problems, consult a dermatologist / skin specialist to advise you which winter skin care products should you use and what winter skin care routine you should follow.
Related Useful Topics:
10 Home Remedies For Dry Skin On Face
How To Cure Dry Skin Naturally
How To get Rid Of Dry skin On Face
How To Rejuvenate Skin Naturally
I live in Florida, even in the winter here, it’s still humid, but I did visit Las Vegas twice and the dry air there was terrible for my skin. I’m sure a big part of it was because I am so much more used to a moist climate, but after only a couple of days there, the skin on my hands was cracking and bleeding. My lips were chapped. Moisturizer and Chap Stick should be staples in a “Vegas Survival Kit.” Thanks for the tips. If I ever visit Vegas again, I’ll be taking this article with me.