6 Skin Care Tips for the Cold, Dry Season

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6 Skin Care Tips for the Cold, Dry Season
By - https//www.bahrdermatology.com/
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Use a Humidifier
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• The brutally cold winters in the northern
  United States are infamous for drying out the
  skin. If you want to keep your complexion in its
  best condition throughout the next few months,
  invest in a humidifier for your home or bedroom.
  Humidifiers increase moisture levels in the air,
  therefore increasing the humidity in your home.
  Humid weather conditions, when compared with cold
  and dry weather conditions, help keep your skin
  significantly softer and healthier. Additionally,
  humidity has been known to speed up the skin cell
  regeneration process. If your skin is naturally
  dry, and if you're worried about it taking a turn
  for the worse this fall or winter, a humidifier
  is just what you need to keep your skin glowing
  and your confidence growing.

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Shorten Your Showers
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• When it comes to showering and bathing, don't
  linger in the water for long periods of time.
  Although we could all use a solid bathtub
  meditation session every once in a while, you
  should avoid spending more than five minutes in
  the shower or bathtub on a regular basis. Five
  minutes is the longest period of time that your
  skin can withstand contact with hot water without
  risking damage. And since your skin is typically
  more sensitive and vulnerable during the cold,
  dry seasons, you'll want to limit showers even
  more than usual. That doesn't mean your hygiene
  has to deteriorate.Rather than showering for ten
  minutes, shower for five minutes and exfoliate
  for five minutes outside the water. If your
  situation allows, limit your showers to every
  other daybut continue to wash your face daily.

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Try Home Remedies
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• If you're starting to experience dry, flaky
  skin as a result of the weather in your area,
  consider experimenting with home remedies instead
  of commercial lotions and creams. Skin care
  products found at your everyday local drug store
  or grocery store are often loaded with chemicals
  that could potentially damage or dry out your
  skin. Instead of purchasing bottled lotions, face
  washes, and acne pads, try making your own
  skincare products, or experiment with a few
  all-natural, tried-and-true moisturizersmost of
  which you can find in your kitchen! A few popular
  natural moisturizers include honey, olive oil,
  coconut oil, aloe, shea butter, oat, cucumber,
  rose water, and buttermilk. Homemade skin care
  products often smell much more pleasant than
  commercially sold items, and they have no added
  chemicals (and therefore no unpredictably
  negative side effects). If you rely on a
  particular store-bought skin care product and
  can't see yourself switching to something more
  natural, try supplementing your routine with a
  moisturizer or skin cleanser to ensure that you
  are not damaging or drying out your skin.

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Moisturize Frequently
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• Moisturizing is one of the most effective
  ways to combat dry skin in any season, but it's
  especially essential during the cold and dry
  winter months. If you want to prevent your skin
  from drying out, take a few minutes every day
  (morning and night) to moisturize. If you don't
  suffer from any allergies to shea butter or cocoa
  butter, opt for moisturization products that
  contain a large percentage of those two
  ingredients. Shea and cocoa butter have been
  proven to keep the skin soft, smooth, and
  supplewhich is exactly what you want and need
  during dry winters. The best time to apply
  moisturizer is after you shower or bathe, in the
  morning right after you wake up as well as at
  night right before you go to bed. Be sure to wash
  your face and hands thoroughly before applying
  any moisturizer. If you're experiencing
  particularly dry patches on certain areas of your
  body, apply an extra layer of moisturizer several
  times throughout the day.

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Regulate Your Temperature
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• The cold, dry winter months force many of us
  to turn up the heat in our homes and workplaces.
  While this may comfort your body, it is likely
  warming up your skin, which means that you'll
  start to lose moisture. If your environment is
  too hot, you'll start to sweat more than usual,
  and that moisture will evaporate quickly.
  Moisture loss is a serious concern when it comes
  to keeping your skin in excellent condition
  during the cold season therefore, try using
  space heaters instead of turning up the
  thermostat. Using a space heater when you are
  cold instead of increasing the temperature
  throughout your entire home will decrease the
  likelihood that you will lose moisture through
  sweat. You may also want to invest in a
  high-quality blanket to help you stay warm
  without overheating and thus drying out your skin.

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Avoid Rough Materials
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• One of the biggest (and least recognized)
  culprits of dry skin is clothing. Certain
  synthetic clothing materialssuch as polyester,
  rayon, spandex, nylon, acrylic, and acetatehave
  been known to irritate the skin. Whether or not
  you have any fabric allergies, synthetic
  materials could be damaging and drying out your
  skin. This season, prune your wardrobe of any
  clothing items that may be damaging your skin.
  Then, go to your local clothing or thrift store
  and restock your closet with clothing made of
  natural fibers such as organic cotton, bamboo,
  hemp, or wool. Synthetic fabrics may rob your
  body of moisture and could actually lead to
  serious skin dryness.