Would you believe that some of these steps involve your home? Consider this: The first, biggest enemy of skin hydration is dry air. Hot air blowing around in your home from heating systems usually contains no water molecules at all. So by January the drywall and furniture are completely dried out, with no more moisture to give back to the air. Your entire household is dried out! That's why this time of year is when we see most dry skin problems.
How do you recognize this dry winter skin syndrome? You'll see tiny dry flakes on your legs, and your skin becomes itchy - sometimes insufferably so - especially when you undress at night and the back of your arms, hips, and legs itch to the point you can draw blood by scratching. You now have... The Winter Itch!
So what can you do? First step - everything you can do to increase humidity in your household air.
* Lower your home's temperature, because cooler air can hold more water molecules. I recommend 66 degrees at night and around 70 degrees during the daytime - slightly higher (72) if you have children.
* If you have a choice, use radiant or baseboard heating instead of forced air.
* Humidifiers are helpful. Be sure to use additives in the water to retard bacterial and mold growth. (Mold spores can trigger allergies, and some are even dangerous.)
Next, help your skin retain moisture. As the household air tips above indicate, your skin can take moisture from the air - and lose it to dry air, as well. Skin has a protective barrier of dead cells that slow down this moisture loss. So you'll want to take very good care of this protective layer. This is where so many people get into trouble with winter skin care. When skin starts flaking, it's easy to think that the flaky skin is the problem itself, and try to wash or exfoliate it. And then it's easy to end up with seriously dry, itchy skin!
You see, the second biggest enemy of skin hydration is over-washing. The skin's barrier against water loss is easily removed by frequent or vigorous washing - especially with harsher soaps, loofahs, and other scrubbers. Removing the protective layer exposes the next layer of skin. This layer is alive and easily inflamed when exposed to dry air. And it's inflammation that triggers the itch sensation. Scratching the itch further disrupts your skin's natural barrier - so infection can occur, and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis will be exacerbated. Here are 7 bathing tips to keep from washing away your skin's moisture protection.
* Bathe as infrequently as you can get away with, certainly no more than once daily. If you go to the gym, a simple rinse-off is sufficient for the non-odor areas.
* Keep your bath or shower brief.
* Avoid physical scrubbing agents completely. This means NO washcloth, except for odor areas.
* Avoid hot water; use warm instead.
* Soaps should be of the moisturizing variety (like Dove, Caress, Tone). Use sparingly.
* Pat dry with the towel - no scrubbing dry.
* Immediately after patting dry, apply a generous amount of moisturizing lotion to your skin, especially where most exposure to ambient air occurs - your arms and legs. Then apply a facial moisturizing cream.
Then, while your skin still feels moist, be sure to put on adequate clothing that covers up air-exposed areas as much as possible, to retain your skin's water. Apply more of your moisturizing, hydrating skin care products throughout the day. You cannot overdo it! And speaking of products - over-the-counter moisturizing lotions and creams are much better than none at all. However, recent developments in hydrating products incorporate hyaluronic acid and green tea, which both attract and hold water. These formulations are anti-inflammatory, and they are available in medical offices.
Here's the basic moisturizer rule: Whenever you are tempted (or driven) to scratch - that is when you need a moisturizing lotion or cream. You'll soon know how often your skin needs to have additional moisturizing help to prevent these episodes of severe itching.
Try these methods for dry skin relief. Your skin will thank you!
Thanks to Mother Nature and a few innovative thinkers, we now have clothing and linens made with bamboo. Although not yet available in every store in town, and the clothing styles are still limited, bamboo clothing and linens are well worth the search: They surpass organic cotton and silk in every way that matters to those with dry skin or eczema. Although they won't take the place of an effective dry skin care lotion, bamboo clothing and linens actually address some of the factors that cause and exacerbate skin problems.
What are the unique qualities of bamboo?
* The fabrics are three to four times more absorbent than cotton: bamboo absorbs and evaporates sweat so quickly you'll stay dry and cool in the hot summer and dry and warm on the slopes. Retaining natural moisture is vital for those with dry skin and eczema, but sweat sitting on the skin actually worsens the condition.
* Bamboo clothing and linens are soft, smooth and silky. On a microscopic level, bamboo fibers are round and smooth. Consequently, the clothing feels and hangs like silk, doesn't cling to the body and doesn't snag on rough patches of skin.
* Bamboo breathes: the same porous qualities that enable absorption also make bamboo fabrics cooler than others. They are cool to the touch and, if you could take their temperature, you would see they are two or three degrees cooler than other clothing.
* The fabrics, like the plants, are naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Although skin is designed to fight bacteria and fungus, this function in damaged or dry skin is greatly inhibited. Tests done on bamboo fabric exposed to bacteria found that, when new, it kills 99.8 percent of the bacteria and still eliminates 70 percent after being washed 50 times. As the unpleasant odors associated with sweat are caused by bacteria, bamboo will also help you smell fresh.
* As the bamboo plant is not prone to bugs and other pests, it is grown without the usual chemicals that can also irritate the skin.
No fabric will actually heal dry skin: for that you need adequate exercise, a nourishing junk-free diet free of chemicals, cleansing and other skin care products that don't exacerbate the conditions, and a dry skin care solution that locks in natural moisture while protecting against damage from chemicals and other irritants. However, bamboo will certainly make you more comfortable and at least you'll know that your skin problems are not caused by your clothes.
Both James Fairfield & -- -- are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
James Fairfield has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dry Skin, Gift Ideas and Health. James C. Fairfield, MD has established the oldest and most respected dermatology practice in the Delaware Valley. For more free cosmetic dermatology information and resources and to sign up for his free report, Erase the Years, visit his web site at http:. James Fairfield's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
-- -- has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is a freelance writer who contributes articles on skin care for Gloves In A Bottle, Inc. For more information, visit