Dry Skin Winter Woes!
Anyone else out there just love the dry, winter air? I mean, I for one, absolutely love when my hands are so dry they crack and sometimes bleed. [Insert major sarcasm.] I thought I had it rough growing up in the midwest in the winter, but once we made the move out to Colorado, my skin was in for a RUDE awakening, especially in the winter. That’s why I’ve had to get really intentional with how I deal with the dry weather.
There are so many things you can do to be proactive with keeping not only your skin, but your entire body healthy during the dry season. I compiled a few of the top things we do to help deal with and manage our dry skin. While none of these fix the problem for good, they sure help us from day to day!
Here are a few simple tips for dealing with dry winter weather:
- Drink more water! If there was ever a time to drink more water, the winter months are that time. The more moisture you put in your body, the more it will transfer to your skin. It’s a simple shift to thinking about moisturizing your body from the inside out!
- Invest in good lotion. I used to simply think that all lotion was helpful, but in the winter months, you really need the thick creamy lotions. Sorry folks, the beautifully scented lotions aren’t always great. Look for something that is thick. I personally love the Aveeno Baby Cream. The stuff they make for babies is so great to protect and keep the brand new skin as soft and healthy as possible. Why wouldn’t I want the same for my adult skin too? Novel thought, but this stuff is my go-to in the winter months. I love this stuff so much that I carry a full-size tube of it in my purse.
- Keep lotion everywhere. I have a bottle in my car, a few next to my bed, a tube in every bathroom, kitchen counter, my desk – the list goes on and on. The point is that when lotion is readily available, you’ll put it on. Make it easy on yourself!
- Use coconut oil. I seriously love coconut oil, and I know a ton of folks who use it all over their body. I personally don’t love the oily feeling all day long all over. That said, I love using coconut oil on my feet at night and then I put on a pair of light cotton socks to help keep the oil near my skin.
- Take an oatmeal bath. No, oatmeal baths aren’t just for when you have the chicken pox! Oatmeal baths are great to nourish your skin. A simple way to get set up is to bundle up a handful oatmeal in a mesh bag and hang it in the stream of your bath water water (add some chamomile for extra soothing). Squeeze the bag gently to release even more of the soothing oat milk.
- Skip the hot water. I don’t think I could ever get around to a full-on cold shower, but turning the water temp down to a temperature closer to “warm” instead of hot can help your skin out tremendously. Hot water strips your skin of natural moisture, so avoid it as much as you can..
- Dry brush to exfoliate. Dry brushing is not only great for stimulating your lymph system, it also exfoliates your skin. This helps make the lotion you use that much more effective!
- Get a massage. As if I needed another reason to go get a massage, but getting lathered down regularly is great for you in so many ways. Your skin will thank you for the extra moisture you give it in a massage! Just don’t shower afterward! Let the oils and creams stay on your skin for the rest of the day!
- Take a vacation. Again…as if I needed another excuse to pamper myself! We tend to go to warm places around our anniversary (near the turn of the year) and those warm places are usually a TON more humid than Colorado. My skin celebrates when we’re there and I can see a dramatic change in how fast my skin heals and how well it holds moisture. It’s almost like a little ‘reset’ button for my skin before we head back to the high desert climate for the rest of winter!
- Use a humidifier. If you live in a dry climate, this is a MUST. Of course, almost every climate can benefit from using a humidifier during the winter season. Humidifiers are essential because they help put moisture back into the air in your home, especially in a bedroom where you spend half of your life! I just discovered the Quilo 3in1 Fan with Evaporative Air Cooler and Humidifier and I’m in love! This small, but mighty, machine works all year long as an evaporative cooler in the summer and then a humidifier in the winter. For those of us that live without air conditioning (gasp!) in the high desert this machine is a life saver!
Dry skin is a BIG DEAL in the winter, but for those of us who live in dry climates, it’s something we think about year round! You live through a few winters and you start to pick up on a few little tips and tricks to help your skin survive (and thrive!) in dry conditions!