5 Ways To Keep Your Skin Healthy This Winter
Brrr, it’s chilly out there! February is one of the coldest times of the year. From the continuous snowfalls to frigid, dry air, you need to take extra care of your skin to keep it healthy. Cold weather can lead to dry, flaky skin, which can become itchy and uncomfortable.
Here are 5 ways to keep your skin healthy this winter:
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to help keep your skin healthy - not just in the winter, but all year long. Try drinking 8 glasses of water, spaced out throughout the day. If you’re struggling to drink an adequate amount of water, there are a few ways to keep yourself on track. Try setting up an app on your phone as a reminder every 20 minutes or so. We recommend: ‘Drink Water Reminder N Tracker’, ‘Water Reminder – Daily Tracker’, and ‘WaterMinder’. Not only will these apps send you a prompt to drink your water, they also have a tracking feature to measure how much water you’ve consumed throughout the day. Another way to stay on track is to purchase a 2L water bottle. Then, all you need to worry about is finishing the full bottle and you’ve met your daily water intake goal. If you find drinking water to be a little boring, you can infuse it with fruit to add flavour. Pressa Bottle is an ideal way to do this. Lastly, if you want to switch things up, try drinking a beverage which already consists of water, such as tea.
Moisturize
This tip may seem like an obvious one, but it’s very important in the cold, winter months. Since our skin is exposed to cold air, dryness and cracking of the skin can occur. To prevent this, try moisturizing your face and body twice a day, once before you go to sleep and again in the morning. If you’re looking for a new facial moisturizer to try, we recommend Benzagel’s After Care Moisturizing Lotion. Created with naturally derived ingredients, it’s the perfect soothing lotion to use after you’ve washed your face. For areas that may be unprotected from the cold such as your hands and ankles, continuously moisturize throughout the day to prevent dry skin. Since we are washing our hands and sanitizing more often, it’s easy for our skin to become drier than usual, so it’s even more important to moisturize. Leave a travel size moisturizer in your car, in your bag and on your desk. That way, you will be reminded to include it in your routine.
Avoid Hot Showers
While hot showers might feel nice in the winter, they actually could be causing damage to your skin. Excessive hot water can irritate and dry out your skin, which can eventually lead to rashes, eczema or increased blood pressure. To avoid this, try taking shorter, warm showers. The ideal time is between 5-10 minute showers, with a lukewarm temperature. You can decrease the temperature slightly every time you shower so your body can become accustomed to the cooler water. Eventually, you can work your way up to cold showers, which have a ton a benefits! They help you wake up in the morning, are known to increase energy and are phenomenal for your skin. Cold showers increase blood circulation, relieve itchy skin and prevent skin from drying out.
Invest in a Humidifier
Along with a multitude of other advantages, investing in a humidifier will do wonders for your skin. Since indoor heating tends to make the air extremely dry, many people use a humidifier to increase air hydration and moisture in their homes. This helps to prevent conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, and helps your skin stay moisturized, especially in the cold, drier months. If you have a smaller living space, keep the humidifier in a central area to ensure maximum air hydration. However, if you live in larger home, or with several people, it may be worthwhile to invest in multiple humidifiers. Place one in your living space and bedroom, since these are the two areas we tend to spend most of our time.
Use Sunscreen
While most people use sunscreen in the summertime, it’s just as crucial to wear it during the winter months. The sun tends to peak through the clouds while you’re outside in the winter months and it can still cause damage to the skin. Ever walk outside in the winter and wonder why it feels so bright? This is because the snow reflects the sun’s rays, which can also damage your skin. Use sunscreen all over your body, but especially focus on your hands and face, as these are the areas that are exposed to the sun in the colder season.
How are you keeping your skin healthy this winter?
