Caring For Your Skin In Winter

Winter is hard on skin. Dry air and harsh wind can sap moisture from the skin, causing cracking, chapping, and irritation. What exactly happens to our skin in winter:
- when you are outside, the cold temperatures result in a poor blood circulation in your facial skin. As a result your skin does not get enough nutrients and oxygen and all the healthy, regenerative processes in your skin slow down. As a result, skin looses its healthy color and becomes dull or pale
- when you are inside, your skin is losing its moisture due to the dry environment created by indoor heating. As a result, it feels tight, dry and can start flaking.
- when you shift between the cold outside and the warm and dry inside environments the difference is so big and stressful for your skin that your skin naturally cannot balance itself quickly enough. This results in loss of hydration, irritation, widened capillaries and redness. All of the above mentioned contributes to your skin’s misbalance, stress, sensitivity and dryness.

Luckily, you can take action to minimize winter skin problems. Here are some tips to help you keep your skin as youthful-looking and healthy as possible throughout the winter months. When the weather outside is frightful, these skin care tips can help keep your skin summer soft.

1. Avoid exposing skin to harsh winter elements such as freezing temperatures and drying cold winds. Dress warmly, in layers, and wear a hat, scarf and gloves when you go out in cold weather.

2. Shorten showers. Steamy showers are dehydrating you by taking moisture out instead of putting it in. That's because hot water removes the skin's natural oils more quickly than warm or cold water. Take shorter showers and baths and use warm water instead of steamy hot. Then, pat dry, don't rub. If you wash your face too frequently, just stop. Overwashing doesn’t prevent acne, it promotes it. Constantly stripping away your oil layer irritates your skin and leaves you perpetually vulnerable, which is simply a foolish thing to do.

3. Do not use harsh soaps to cleanse, as they will strip your skin of precious lipids. Use a non-soap cleanser or very mild soap to cleanse. Your favorite antibacterial or deodorant soap may be doing you more harm than good, stripping your skin of essential oils. And go mild with your laundry detergent, too. Designed to remove dirt and oils, residue just may irritate sensitive, chapped skin.

4. Protect facial skin from both cold winds and drying air from heaters with a rich natural moisturizer. Apply the moisturizer at least twice a day, once after your cleansing routine in the morning and again before you go to bed. Always apply moisturizer on clean skin. Your hands can also benefit from the application of the moisturizer.

5. Up to 80% of the sun's rays can penetrate light clouds, snow, and fog. Over time that exposure can lead to moles, wrinkles, and skin cancers. So protect your skin. Even on cloudy or overcast days slap on that sunscreen. Reach for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15, with UVA and UVB protection. And don't forget to reapply often.

6. Drink lots of warm water through the day. Though you may not be as thirsty as during the summer, continue to drink lots of water to provide the necessary hydration to your skin. If you skin is frequently dry and susceptible to rashes and peeling, or even if you just have problem areas of dry skin, simply drinking more water can work wonders. The extra moisture in your cells is very helpful in enabling your skin to effectively handle cold and dry air conditions. Throw less water on your face, and drink more of it.

7. Vitamins and Antioxidants. Help your skin to regain its energy and strength in winter by taking an antioxidant supplement. Most important antioxidants for the skin are Vitamin C, B, E, Zink and Magnesium. Eat fruits and vegetables high in water content at every meal.

9.Humidify indoor air. If you don't have a humidifying system within your heating ducts, consider buying a humidifier. These devices will help keep skin and nasal passages from drying out. Home or office environments in winter can get very dry due to heating. Your skin starts to feel tight and burning from dehydration. Alternatively, several house plants can balance out humidity level in the environment.

10. Remember your lips are also part of the skin on your face so use a soothing lip balm or moisturizing lipstick, preferably with a sunscreen. Keep your lips protected from dry, cold air by wearing lipstick regularly. Make a habit of reapplying lipstick so your lips are always covered and you will never have chapped lips.

11. Stay Active. Do not give in to winter blues. Do your daily fitness routine! This keeps you fit and stimulates blood circulation in your whole body and of course your skin.

By taking a few common sense winter skin care precautions, you can be as happy and beautiful in the winter as you are during the summer.