The winter air can leave a chill in the air and on our skin that chaps and chafes our skin. And, the additional heat, can warm our hearts and our home, but dry out the air and again, our skin, leaving it dehydrated and dry. And, in both cases we can experience a common condition known as winter itch.
According to experts dry skin is a direct by-product of a loss of moisture. They note, that depending on which layer (dermis or epidermis) the water content of the skin can vary, but is estimated at 80% for the epidermis, but much dry for the dermis, or surface layer of skin. In fact, according to the experts the dermis is comprised of dead skin cells and has a water content of about 10-30 percent.
When the outer layer, the stratum corneum dries out, it loses its luster and results in dry skin. And, skin that is low on water and dry will fissure, making it more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections.
Moisturizers can help rehydrate the skin preventing further water loss and dryness. While some may result in skin swelling slightly re ducting fine line and wrinkles and making pores appear smaller, they do not repair sun damage. However, they can also help skin feel softer and smoother. And experts notes the four target areas moisturizers generally address.
1. Skin barrier repairs 2. Increasing water content 3. Diminishing amount of water loss 4. Restoring skin's capacity to attract, hold and redistribute water.
And, experts offer the following suggestions for dealing with dry skin and winter itch.
? Refrain from hot tubs and hot baths. While the heat may feel soothing, it's actually serves to strip your skin of essential oils and depletes it of water, making skin drier and matters worse.
? Lather you ligaments while still wet. Applying moisturizer to damp skin helps seal in the moisture.
? Creamy, rich moisturizers are the best kind. Consider putting some petroleum jelly on your hands covered with cotton gloves while you sleep at night to keep hands supple and smooth.
? Note that moisturizers containing lactic acid or urea can draw water into the skin.
? Moisturize hands after each washing or when coming in from the cold.
If you grew up in colder climates you’ll remember those winter days coming home from ice-skating, tobogganing, skiing and snowball fights with chaffed (chafed) red hands and feet under your wet mittens and socks, your face red and damp and your lips being chapped. Although you may not get quite as wet as an adult, it is still important to stay dry during the winter. Paradoxically, keeping your skin dry is one of the most basic dry skin care rules for winter.
Hands and feet need special care all year round, but this is especially true in winter. Every time your skin is immersed in water – whether from washing your hands, bathing and doing household cleaning or from wet hands under snow-covered gloves or perspiring feet under thick winter socks – you are causing or exacerbating dry skin. During the cold months, this can easily turn into cracked, dry skin and eczema.
There are two major factors causing this phenomenon. First, when water evaporates, so do the skin’s natural oils. Stripped of its natural protection, the skin is vulnerable to anything it contacts – everything from household chemicals and environment pollutants to cold and blustery dry winds.
Second, dry air tends to extract moisture from anywhere it can be found – and that includes your skin.
Here is your winter dry skin care routine:
• Don’t bath quite so often and make sure the water is not very hot.
• Don’t use harsh cleansers, soaps or skin care products. During the winter your skin is especially sensitive.
• If you’re involved in winter sports, keep your hands and feet dry by changing wet socks and gloves a few times during the day.
• Wear a shielding lotion.
A good shielding lotion bonds with the skin to form an outer protective layer. This layer helps dry skin by enabling it to retain natural moisture and inhibiting the air’s ability to leach it from the skin. It also keeps out chemicals and environmental pollutants. It is especially important in winter because, unlike the usual dry skin care creams, lotions and moisturizers, it does not wash off with water – which means it keeps protecting you even when your hands and feet are damp. Following these few simple rules will make winter much more pleasant and you won’t have to wage the usual constant battle to find dry skin care that works.
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