Harlan told me this morning that winter officially begins on Sunday. I always love when she learns things in school and has to tell me right away. I honestly didn’t know the official date of the winter season, so it’s good to have the reminder. I have a love/hate relationship with the season. Growing up in Florida, we didn’t have these frigid temperatures like we experience in the northeast. It definitely takes some getting used to.
While I love the snow that winter brings, I don’t love what winter does to my skin. Everything dries out and gets chapped. I itch like crazy because my skin is so dry and sometimes if it gets too dry, it can be painful. I take such great care of the kids skin during the winter, but fail to put any atention into my own.
This season, I’ve made a promise to myself that it’s time to take care of me so that starts with this dry, itchy skin. There are several ways that I’m rescuing my skin this winter and here’s how:
1. Moisturize: This is one of the most important things you can do for dry skin. Adding some moisture back into our skin not only helps relieve the itchiness, but it adds a layer of protection. I always apply lotion when I get out of the shower so that it helps trap some of the moisture in. I’ve done it with Macks because of his eczema and it’s helped tremendously. My face gets incredibly dry this time of year so I’ve been trying to moisturize in the morning before I put on any makeup and at night after I wash my face. I’ve started using the new Aveeno® Positively Radiant® CC Cream before I apply my makeup. It’s a tinted moisturizer, so it helps cover up and correct any skin imperfections while also protecting my skin from UV rays with the built in 30 SPF. It’s hypoallergenic which is huge because my face is super sensitive.
2. Use a Humidifier: Because the heater is on nearly all of the time during these winter months, it dries out the air. It not only dries up our skin, but also our airways. I have a humidifier in every room of our house to help add a little bit of moisture back into the air. They are also incredibly helpful when anyone is sick. I refill ours every night and leave them on nearly all of the time.
3. Shower Less and Don’t Let Your Shower Get Too Hot: As someone who loves to take nice long hot showers (only once the kids are asleep, of course) this was hard for me to get used to. Hot water dries out our skin, so during the winter months it’s best to take a cool shower. It’s hard, I know. But to avoid drying out my skin even more, I hop in the shower quickly, do what I have to do and get it. Every once in a while I’ll treat myself to a nice long hot shower for a treat, but I don’t do it nearly as often during the winter months.
4. Avoid Anything that Will Aid in Drying Out Your Skin: We use anti-bacterial sanitizer in our house a lot to try to keep germs at bay, but it is a product that really dries out the skin. Using a hand-sanitizer that is alcohol-free will help prevent germs while not taking out the excess moisture in your hands. I mentioned hot water, so when washing your hands, try to use cool water. I always keep a bottle of water with me too, because if I don’t drink enough, it can dry out my skin even more.
5. Cover Up: Help trap the moisture in your skin and protect it from the cold weather that dries it out even more by covering up. Wear gloves when you go outside on cold days (and lather them up with lotion before you do!) I love wearing socks at night during the winter, not only because they keep my feet warm, but they also are great in keeping the moisture in from the lotion I apply on them before I put them on.
6. Exfoliate: This is a great way to get rid of some of the dead skin cells that pile up during these winter months, but don’t do it too often or it will dry out your skin even more. I try to exfoliate my face and body once a week to keep my skin fresh and feeling smooth and soft.
7. Treat Yourself: This is my favorite tip and thing to do. Once a month I’ll treat myself to a manicure and pedicure so that they can help me take care of all of that dry skin. They are the professionals when it comes taking off of those dead skin cells on our feet so why not let them do it and get some relaxation and quiet time in while they’re at it.
What are your winter skin survival tips?
