How to Treat Winter Dry Skin

We all know the feeling: Dry, raw, itchy dry skin that seems to return every winter. Cold weather and dry heat form the perfect recipe for feeling uncomfortable in your own skin. Here are some tips to help keep you skin moist, comfortable and attractive, even in the coldest weather.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Moisturizer
• Humidifier
• Water
• A healthy diet

1. Get a humidifier. The heating systems in most homes and offices dry out the air while they keep us warm. This can lead to dry skin problems. A humidifier can really help bring back healthy moisture levels. If you have a forced hot-air system, you may be able to find a humidifier that attaches to your heating system. This type of humidifier will introduce moisture into the ducts every time the heat blows and works to raise the humidity in your entire home. For homes with other types of heating systems, inexpensive room humidifiers are effective. Even a simple bowl of water will help bring up the humidity in a small area. You may want to try this at work if your office is dry.

2. Try to take warm, rather than hot showers. Your skin and your hair will thank you. Sometimes on a cold morning, there is nothing more satisfying than a hot shower. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do for dry skin. Water that is too hot only makes skin feel more dry and itchy. Hot water will also make your hair look dull and dry.

3. Use a moisturizer to help heal dry skin and keep it feeling comfortable. Skin needs this extra protection from dryness in the winter. The best time to apply moisturizer is right after a shower, when your skin is still moist (not soaked). The moisturizer helps lock in the moisture from your shower and protect your skin in dry conditions. For people with extremely dry skin, moisturizing once a day is not enough. Try a second application of moisturizer at bedtime.

4. Drink a lot of water--it's important in all seasons and helps keep us healthy. In the winter, the water you drink contributes valuable moisture to your skin. You may find that if you drink six to eight glasses of water a day, your skin isn't nearly as dry as it used to be.

5. Don't forget about good nutrition. A balanced diet with healthy types of oils and fats will help you to retain moisture in your skin. Healthy fats include avocado, flaxseed oil, olive oil, nuts and omega 3 oils.

[smilesatme1]

on 3/1/2009 I soak myself with the coconut milk! Thanks!

[favefive]

on 3/1/2009 Very timely and helpful indeed! 5*

[simplelife]

on 3/1/2009 Very timely article. I put lotion on my hands a half-dozen times a day in this weather... and still need more! Tip 5 is especially good ... in this age of watching fat in our diets, we tend to forget that a low-fat diet can lead to dry skin. Thanks!

[ecurrent]

on 3/1/2009 Excellent article.

[vikki9]

on 2/28/2009 Great tips - especially drinking lots of water. Thank you.