Whether you live in a dry or rainy winter region, your skin still takes a bashing during winter! Here are a few vital tips to keep your skin supple and healthy through the cold months.
Indoor and outdoor challenges for skin
Summertime is easy: all you have to do is put on that sunscreen and keep your feet covered in public shower areas. Winter is more complicated, as your outside and indoor environments are quite different – these are some of the problems for skin:
- Low humidity – which just means really dry air
- Freezing cold temperatures
- Heaters dry out the indoor air even more
Winter tips for healthy skin
These are the bare winter skin basics for everyone:
1. Staying clean
If you have more hot showers or long baths than in the summer, they could strip your skin’s natural oils and leave it feeling dry, flaky and itching.
How do you prevent this?
- Keep baths or showers to 10 minutes
- Use a moisturising body-wash or fragrance-free mild soap
- Avoid perfumed products that contain alcohol
- Pat yourself dry and put on moisturiser immediately
2. Give the air some moisture
Use a portable humidifier to add humidity to your home – it’ll put moisture into the air, which is good for both your skin and hair!
3. Sunscreen in winter
Don’t forget the sunscreen if you live in a dry winter area. Yes, it sounds weird, but the sun is still the sun, even when it feels colder, so slap on the screen!
If you have a skin condition
- Dandruff often flares up in winter and may affect more than just your scalp. If you are battling to manage dandruff, talk to your pharmacist about the problem.
- For people who suffer from eczema – often children – remember to moisturise hands before putting on gloves! Remember that sweat trapped inside gloves can make the skin itch, so remove them once you’re inside or warm.
For more about skin, see 3 Top Tips For Glowing Skin and Is Your Lifestyle Ageing Your Skin?