Winter Skin Saviors

Tips to reduce winter skin blues

From the LifeMinute.TV Team

January 6, 2023

Winter is a time to enjoy all things comfortable and cozy. But outdoor dry temperatures, lower humidity levels, and indoor heaters can wreak havoc on your skin resulting in issues like redness, itchiness, flakiness, rawness, scaliness, and tightness. Here are some product tips to ease those conditions.

pH: Keep it on the Low
Inflamed skin from winter weather can be exacerbated by scrubbing with harsh, physical scrubs with large particles. They can more easily break down your skin’s moisture barrier causing further damage. Opting for cleansers with a lower pH can help minimize skin irritation and dryness. The optimal pH value of the skin on most of our face and body falls somewhere between 4.7 and 5.75. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. Anything below that is acidic and above it alkaline. The skin’s natural pH is mildly acidic. Traditional soap has a pH of 9 to 10. The lower pH of skin cleansers can help minimize skin irritation, flakiness, and dryness. Choose fragrance-free versions too.

Hyaluronic Hero
Facial moisturizers that include ingredients like hyaluronic acid work well at trapping moisture in and preventing your skin from feeling more dried out. It’s vital to hold onto as much moisture as possible during the winter. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it pulls in water to your skin to hydrate, soften, and plump and reduce the tight, dry feeling.

Soothing Oats
Ingredients like soothing colloidal oatmeal can help restore the skin’s normal pH and protect the skin’s moisture barrier, and calm irritation, burning, and redness.

Perfect for Acne-Prone Skin
Moisturizers like linoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory effects, can ease itchiness and that tight feeling.

Handy Musts-Haves
The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands, making it often one of the first places we notice scaly, tight, raw, or even cracked skin, especially during cold, dry weather. Excessive hand washing to reduce the spread of cold, flu, or COVID, can add to the problem. Wear gloves before you go outside or perform activities that require getting your hands wet. Back inside, apply soothing hand cream with ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, and almond oil. These ingredients can hydrate, moisturize, soften, and help heal the skin.

Exile Eczema
Eczema, a skin condition that causes a dry, scaly, and itchy rash on top of the skin, often appears worse in the winter and can mimic acne. It flares up, typically, because the skin can’t stay moist on its own. Look for moisturizing products that are fragrance, dye, and alcohol-free. Talk to a dermatologist about applying a cream with hydrocortisone for painful, itchy flare-ups.

Enlist an Expert
Consider seeing a board-certified dermatologist. This expert can help analyze your skin type, troubleshoot your current skincare routine in the winter, and offer advice on products specific to your unique skin needs. A dermatologist can also provide prescription medication to address concerns when over-the-counter skincare products are not effectively working.