Combatting Dry Skin During the Winter Season

Some of you may be experiencing dry skin.

Dry skin can be itchy, and it may look flaky and bumpy or have red patches. It could also appear dull or rough.

Cold weather, dry air from our heated homes or vehicles, washing skin too much or using harsh chemicals in the products we use daily can be making your skin dry.

If you’re wondering how to repair and protect skin that looks tender and dry, here are a few tips.

1. Moisturize daily! Apply right after a bath or shower. It can take some trial and error for a person to find the best one for their skin type. Samples or getting a facial at a spa may be a great way to try different products. Skin care products can contain drying agents that can make dry skin worse. Some ingredients to avoid are alcohols, petrolatum or petroleum, dioxane or synthetic fragrances or colour.
2. Use a gentle cleanser! Soaps or cleansers often use harsh chemicals to give you that clean feeling, which can be drying and leave you with a tight feeling! Some ingredients to avoid, 1.SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) 2. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), and TEA (triethanolamine) 3.PEG (Polyethylene glycol)
3. Exfoliate weekly to remove excess dry skin! Within a 28 day cycle, our skin renews it’s cells and replaces them with new ones. The old skin cells remain stuck on our skin making it look dry and dull. Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells, which can reduce dry patches and improve the skin’s texture. Using a facial cloth, a silicone face scrubber or a facial scrub are all ways to physically remove dead skin cells or dry skin.

Other factors such as lifestyle and environmental can also make our skin dry as well; A visit to an Estitician is great practice before each season change to learn tips on how to take care of your skin.

Always make sure to wear sunscreen even in the winter months!