The newer, most common worry among many of my patients was either how quickly they could dig their cars out of the snow, or how safe they would be while driving.
With those important issues being on everyone's minds, keeping one's skin healthy and glowing tends to be the last thing about which everyone thinks.
However, epidermal health is particularly important even during the winter.
Because of the coldness of the surrounding air, the top level of your skin dries out more quickly, making your skin texture rough and itchy.
This problem is especially common in Maine, where I have been practicing medicine for the last 30 years.
There are two steps to combat this rough winter skin, no matter how cold it gets:
- Exfoliate on a regular basis.
Exfoliation means getting rid of the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin.
In other words, wash your skin with a specific exfoliating brand, such as Garnier or Clean & Clear, at least once a week.
People with very dry skin should even do so up to three times a week. - Moisturize.
When older dry skin is exfoliated regularly, moisturizers are absorbed more easily.
Moisturizers also treat and prevent dryness.
They may seem hard to believe, but keep reading.
As the weather gets colder and humidity gets lower, water becomes even more important to your skin's health.
Hence, you need to drink more water in the winter.
Hydrated skin mean healthier skin.
Also, increasing external humidity will help your skin greatly.
The term "increasing external humidity" sounds complicated, but it really means to keep your living area as warm as you can without it turning into a sauna.
An easy way to increase such humidity is to buy a humidifier, and use it in your bedroom at night.
Humidity brings moisture from the air onto your skin, and hydrates it better.
When skin is hydrated properly, it is healthier.
Finally, the sun can still damage your skin in the winter.
It does not matter whether you're outside or driving.
The ultraviolet rays from the sun can still wreak havoc on your skin, even if you don't see redness on it.
Especially in areas where there is snow, the sun's rays can further reflect on the snow's white surface, and do more damage to your skin.
You know how hard it is to see on a day when they're snow on the ground and not a cloud in the sky? Those are the sun's dangerous rays at work.
These reasons are why wearing your facial sunblock every day is very important.
You should also reapply it if you are going to be outside for prolonged periods of time in the winter, such as while skiing or snowmobiling.
Using these techniques, your skin will gradually begin to feel smoother and less itchy.
You will also look better and prevent future damage.