Is Winter Causing Your Skin To Dry Up?

Here are some tips on how to hydrate your skin from the inside and out.

Winter’s a tough season. Temperatures drop and humidity rates fall. The cold wind can remove moisture and irritate exposed skin. Not to mention more central heating is being used and the air density in low humidity can be hard for our skin to retain water. So how do you combat winter skin?

1. Healing Facial Lotion – It traps moisture in your skin, keeping it from escaping or restoring what moisture has been lost. Depending on your skin type, a light serum or milky lotion work well with oily skin whereas thicker, heavier creams benefit dry skin. Try to avoid lotions with fragrances or dyes if you have sensitive skin. Remember to always do a patch test to avoid irritation or an allergic reaction.
2. Limit Hot Baths/Showers – We feel you, it’s cold outside and you want to relax. We’re not saying you shouldn’t take hot showers but, maybe limit them or use warm water instead. According to Baylor College of Medicine, a hot bath or shower can lead to excessively dry skin. It can damage the surface of your skin and could develop into skin inflammation or increase eczema. Thus, it’s best to use lukewarm water for showers.
3. You Are What You Eat – You can’t just heal your skin through its outer layer. Understanding what you’re putting into your body can help with that. Eating healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, are essentials to healthier skin. It can be found in avocados, extra-virgin olive oil, flax seeds, and fish. Dark chocolate can help increase blood flow and reduce skin sensitivity; however, it has to be at least 70% cocoa. Milk chocolates are loaded with sugar which will do more harm to your skin than good.
4. Supplements – Vitamins and minerals are essential for our body and skin. According to bioClarity, they’re necessary for enzyme activity, hormonal balance, cell regeneration, and overall regeneration of our skin. Some key vitamins are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Selenium. These help with collagen production, decreasing dry skin and protecting cells from free radicals.

Regardless of your skin type, you don’t always have to buy luxurious items to achieve moisturized skin. Sometimes, a simple avocado will do the trick.