How to Keep Your Skin Healthy During the Winter Months

When the cold and dry winter weather rolls in, we are faced with unique challenges when it comes to maintaining healthy skin. Protecting your skin from the harshness of winter is very important to avoid uncomfortable dryness of the face, hands and feet. If you don't know how to keep your skin healthy during the winter months, you may experience painful flaking, cracking or inflamed skin. As soon as temperatures drop and you are constantly switching between the cold outdoors and heated indoors, its vital to pay attention to healthy skin habits. What works for your skin during the humid and hot summer can actually be dangerous for winter skin making it chapped and dry. To hold in natural moisture and maintain healthy skin, use these tips during the winter months.

Avoid Hot Showers- Of course when its cold outside you will be craving a hot shower to warm you up, but this can be harmful to winter skin. If you want to avoid drying out your skin even more, take a warm shower rather than a hot shower. Showering, bathing or washing your hands in hot water can break down lipid barriers and strip your skin of its natural oils. Avoid hot temperatures as well as long exposure so your skin retains its natural moisture and doesn't dry out.

Moisturize Frequently- There are many tips on how to protect your skin during the winter months, but the best way to keep your skin healthy is to lock in moisture by using an oil-based moisturizer or ointment. To moisturize properly during the winter, use lotion right after a shower when your skin has gained water and will retain it best. Using an oil-based moisturizer will form a protective layer on the skin that makes it effective in keeping it hydrated. During the winter months you should try to avoid creams and lotions with fragrances because they can burn or irritate the skin.

Pay Attention To Your Hands- The skin on your hands is much thinner than anywhere else on your body and we wash them often on a daily basis. For these reasons, you must pay attention to protecting the skin on your hands during the winter months to avoid chapping and cracking. For healthy hands, always wear gloves when you go outdoors, use luke warm water to wash them, and never pick at dry or cracking skin.

Bundle Up- When you venture outdoors during the winter months, try and limit skin exposure to the elements. Wear appropriate clothing for the temperature and conditions outside. Layer your clothes and wear soft, breathable material against your skin including hats, gloves and scarves to cover up as much skin as possible. Harsh, dry and frigid conditions can be harmful to your skin, causing it to dry out quickly.

Use SPF- Many people make the mistake of underestimating the winter sun, but sunscreen is a must for healthy skin even during the winter. Apply a sun screen each morning with at least an SPF of 15. The best way to kill two birds with one stone is to chose a daily moisturizer that has SPF already in it. This will keep your skin healthy and hydrated as well as protected from the sun.

Lip Balm- Cold and dry conditions can wreak havoc on your lips. To keep the skin on your lips healthy, you should apply lip balm throughout the day especially if you're switching between indoors and outdoors. One secret to lip health is using petroleum jelly based products that have proven to be some of the most effective in avoiding dry and cracked lips.

To ensure that you will maintain healthy skin throughout the winter months, start using these tips in your everyday skin care routine throughout the fall to give your body a chance to adapt. When the cold and dry winter weather appears, you want to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of dry and cracked skin as much as possible. Use these tips and your skin will thank you this winter.