My 25 Best Dry Skin Fixes ┆Beauty
Dry Skin? 25 of My Best Itchy Skin Fixes
There's nothing worse than dry, itchy skin. Dry skin can happen any time during the year, but is most prevalent in winter (hence the term, "winter itch"). Find out why your skin tends to be dry in winter and how to solve dry hands, feet, body, face and lips year-round.
Why Do I Suffer From Dry Skin in the Winter?
In winter, low temperatures, low humidity and strong, harsh winds
deplete skin of its natural lipid layer, which keeps the skin from
drying out. The dry air from furnaces and other heating sources also
suck the moisture out of skin. To keep skin soft and supple, your goal
is not to add moisture to skin, but to keep moisture in. These 25 tips
show you how to do this.
Dry Skin Tip: Keep Water Lukewarm, Not Hot
Hot water robs skin
of moisture causing dry skin, so it's best to shower in lukewarm water.
If you can't bear this rule -- I can't -- try to keep your showers short
and try showering only once per day. This also means skipping hot tubs
(another rule I simply cannot bear). The hot, hot temperature, combined
with drying chemicals, is torture on dry skin.
The same rule applies to hand-washing: Wash hands in lukewarm, never
hot, water (this is a rule I firmly abide by). If your skin turns red,
the water is simply too hot.
Dry Skin Tip: Moisturize After Showers or Hand Washing
Your skin will tell you when it's dry. If your skin feels tight and
taut, it's time to add moisture. There are so many tips to moisturizing
skin that I created an article on it. See
Body Moisturizer Tips: How to Keep Skin Moisturized.
Dry Skin Tip: Exfoliate on a Weekly or Semi-Weekly Basis
Moisturizer is much more effective on properly exfoliated skin. Use a salt or sugar scrub in the shower and exfoliate your face with a mild scrub made for the face.
See "How to Exfoliate" for tons of fun information on exfoliating your body and your face. Also, check out the best facial scrubs and the scrubs for the body.
Dry Skin Tip: Invest in a Humidifier
Ever notice how older
people in desert climates look like leather? The moisture in the air is
actually good for skin. If you live in a low-humidity climate or you are
around furnaces in the winter, invest in a humidifier.
I once read that your skin needs more than 30 percent humidity to
stay properly moisturized. A room heated by a furnace can have as little
as 10 percent moisture. In the winter, consider sleeping with a
humidifier in your bedroom. Keep doors closed so the moist air doesn't
escape the room.
Dry Skin Tip: Skip the Drying Soaps
Soaps can be drying. Stick with a creamy moisturizing cleanser that contains glycerin or petrolatum, such as Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash for the body or Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash (my current drugstore pick) for the face.
Extra tip: Simply can't skip the bath? Skip the bubbles, which can
contain harsh foaming ingredients and opt for bath oils or oatmeal
scrubs, which are great for soothing itchy skin.
Dry Skin Tip: Baby Your Hands & Feet
Hands and feet can
suffer terribly from dry, itchy skin. Put on moisturizer and gloves
BEFORE you head outdoors in the winter, and consider lathering up your
feet in thick moisturizer and sleeping in cotton socks at night.
Extra tip: Cover feet in a thick moisturizer, wrap feet in Saran
Wrap, then pull on a pair of socks for a couple hours. Try to sit or lie
down while the moisturizer soaks in or risk sliding into a full split
and pulling your groin muscles. The same treatment can be done on hands,
except try plastic bags and keep hands in a pair of socks. A half-hour
should do you.
Dry Skin Tip: Stay Hydrated But Don't Go Overboard
Many people
believe if they drink more water, they'll hydrate skin. But I've read
time and time again that this is a myth and you simply cannot moisturize
skin from the inside out.
That said, a small study recently published by the University of
Hamburg (and reported in Allure magazine), suggests people who drink
relatively little water could see a significant benefit in skin
hydration if they started drinking nine eight-ounce glasses of water per
day. What does this mean? Probably that dehydration does affect skin,
but a normally hydrated person isn't going to see major benefits by
drinking even more water.
My advice: don't expect bottled water to save you from dry skin and the winter itch.
Dry Skin Tip: Don't Forget Your Lips
Licking your lips will not
moisturize them and instead will help dry them out. Lips retain less
moisture than other parts of the body, so they tend to dry out more
quickly. A simple lip balm helps but if you have the bucks, try: Kinerase Lip Treatment (about $38).
My favorite lips trick is one I learned from "Seventeen" magazine when I was in high school. It works brilliantly. See How to Get Rid of Scaly Lips.
Dry Skin Tip: Protect Your Face, Too
If you have super,
duper sensitive skin, consider avoiding rinsing your face with tap
water, which can contain harsh minerals that are especially drying to
the skin (Dr. Dennis Gross once told me New York water contains a lot of
harsh minerals, while Seattle water, for example, does not. Go figure).
Instead use a cold cream like Pond's to cleanse your face or use
bottled spring water.
Consider Fish Oil Pills
New studies show omega-3 fish oil pills
may soothe super dry skin. Patients who took fish oils pills in a study
reported in Allure magazine, saw significant results within a few
weeks. "You can see, within six weeks, the skin, hair and nails improve
markedly," according to skin expert Dr. Andrew Weil in Allure. Ever
since I started taking fish oil pills in March, 2007, I have received
numerous compliments on how amazing my skin looks. So there you have it.
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