How to Guard Your Skin Against Winter Weather

Winter: time for snow, holidays, friends and family. Hot chocolate round the fireside and the hustle and the slow pace of falling snow. For some, winter means a time to enjoy the company of others and warm feelings of comfort and joy. To others, winter means something much more sinister: dry skin and runny noses. Your hands, feet, lips and scalp take a beating during the cold months, so do yourself a favor and abide by these tips to assure you can focus on itchy, flaky skin this winter.

• Humidify – I have fond memories of falling asleep to the sound of a room humidifier during my childhood. Nowadays, humidifiers are more advanced and can really do wonders for your skin, not just soothe you to sleep. Blog Chill Out LA suggests getting a small humidifier to put under your desk at work, too.

• Moisturize – This one should probably go without saying, but it is important to moisturize your skin to keep it from flaking and feeling dry all the time. Be sure to pick up a moisturizer that is oil based instead of water-based, though and your skin will be better prepared for winter-specific conditions. Look for non-clogging oils, though, as some oil-based moisturizers can clog up pores. Check out WebMD for more.

• Hydrate – Protecting your skin from winter weather isn’t a purely external venture, so remember to take care of your insides, too. Drink lots of water this winter and it will help to hydrate your skin from the inside out. If you think it is too cold to drink water by itself, take a thermos of hot green tea on your way out. Your body will get the same hydration, and green tea’s antioxidants will help your body stay healthy, too.

• Pucker Up – Ugh, chapped lips! Is there anything worse than cracking, dry lips to drive you up a wall during the winter months? Licking your lips won’t help, though, because your saliva will only chap your lips more. Keep a moisturizing lip balm close at hand to help keep those smackers nice and hydrated.

• Condition – Winter can also do a number on your lovely locks, so be sure and use conditioner to keep your hair moisturized, too. It’s best not to use a blow dryer, either, because they can really dry out your scalp. Likewise, hot water can also dry out your hair and skin, so wash with cool or warm water. For more winter hair care tips, see this article on Hair Care Guide.

• Bundle Up – Just because the winter elements are all around you doesn’t mean you have to thrust yourself into them. When you have to go out, be sure to cover your skin. Freezing temperatures and harsh winds will dry you out, so wear gloves, scarves and extra layers to keep the cruel weather off your body.

Winter doesn’t have to be a nightmare for your skin, so practice these tips and you won’t dread the dry winter woes. If there’s anything I didn’t cover here that you do to keep your skin from drying out, let me know in the comments.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am and is filed under Skin Care - Products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.