Happy Healthy New Year!
It’s Never a Dry Time to Take Care of Your Skin
It’s Never a Dry Time to Take Care of Your Skin
By Emily Eng
Dry, flaky, cracked skin is the worst part of the winter season, but not as bad as asynchronous online school on snow days. Unlike being forced to wake up at 8 am on an off day, there are many ways to help prevent and treat dry skin to stay healthy throughout the winter.
Some identifications of dry skin, due to seasonal change, are flakiness, texture, itchiness, cracks, and even small cuts. It is important that you do not pick or scratch at your skin because your skin is already sensitive to damage since its protective barrier is damaged. Overly touching your skin could risk cuts, and tugging your dry skin can cause more cracking and dryness. Think of your dry skin as a healing wound and treat it carefully.
An important and effective way of treating dry skin is to moisturize daily. Rehydrating will repair your skin’s barrier and prevent further dehydration. Whether you're treating your legs, arms, lips, or face, there are some ingredients to stay away from. For example, menthol (minty product found in products like chapsticks), witch hazel(can be sensitizing and drying), isopropyl alcohol(very drying), strong fragrances (can irritate the skin), and parabens (a preservative ingredient used in cosmetics). Aim for products that are fragrance-less and don't contain these irritating ingredients.
Dry cracked skin
Some recommendations are:
In addition, try not to take scorching, long, hot showers because this strips natural oils from your skin and makes it more difficult for your skin to rehydrate. Also, do not forget to immediately moisturize after taking a shower.
Furthermore, for anybody that has a skin care routine, avoid exfoliators and aim for gentle cleansers to clean your face. Exfoliating your face while it's in a sensitive condition can cause inflammation and dry out your skin even further.
Alongside the dry, cold winter air, artificial heaters can further cause dehydration to the skin. Getting a humidifier will add moisture back into the air and help your skin rehydrate. A humidifier is a machine that creates steam to add moisture into the air. However, this is an optional choice because humidifiers can be expensive.
Lastly, and surprisingly, wearing sunscreen will protect your sensitive skin from the sun’s UV rays. Many people think that sunscreen is only necessary for the summer during hot weather. UV rays from the sun are radiation waves that can be pretty harmful to a person’s skin if exposed for long periods of time. For example, skin cancer, sunburns, premature skin aging, and sight issues. However, just because it’s cold outside doesn’t stop UV rays from harming your skin. Snow reflects UV rays making it more damaging to your skin. It is equally important to make sure to protect your skin from the sun’s deadly rays.
Some sunscreen recommendations are:
In conclusion, taking care of your skin is essential no matter what season it is. Not only does it keep you healthy, it rejuvenates you. Taking care of your skin is a task that is easy to do and uplifts your spirit. Your skin is the biggest organ in your body, an organ we use to touch and feel things.
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