b1.jpgAs winter blasts its cold, dry air, your skin can lose its natural moisture. Wind and sun can add to the effect, and so can hot, dry air from heaters and furnaces.

Here are eleven tips to help you keep your skin soft and moisturized during the winter months.

1. Take care of yourself from the inside out by drinking plenty of water. Make sure to get your 64 ounces of water each day. It can really help to bring your water bottle everywhere you go. Choose a sturdy, reusable aluminum bottle so you can be sure plastic won’t be leaching hazardous chemicals into your water (and you won’t be contributing to the landfills with your daily water intake).

2. Run your humidifier in your home or office.

3. During the bath or shower, if your skin is very dry, use a hydrating soapless cleanser. Soaps and shaving products can dry your skin, so be careful what you use, and avoid extremely hot baths and showers, which can dry your skin as well.

4. Look for moisturizers with vitamins A, D, and E (which will help your skin retain moisture.) Once you find a lotion or skin cream that you love, you may still need to reapply it throughout the day (generally whenever your skin feels dry or itchy).

5. Don’t forget your sunscreen. The sun’s rays can be damaging even in the wintertime, when snow reflects the sunlight, so make sure you apply a sunscreen with at least SPF15 to any area of your body that will be exposed. It’s particularly important to use sunscreen on your face.

6. During cold and flu season, frequent hand washing can certainly help keep us from healthy, but it can also cause our hands to feel dry, and they may even crack and split. Antibacterial liquid soap can be particularly rough on skin. Opt for a mild hand cleanser that moisturizes your hands as it cleans.

7. Wear rubber gloves whenever you are dealing with cleansing products, including dish soap.

8. Dry your hands completely after washing them to avoid chapping, and apply hand lotion after each cleansing.

9. Wear gloves outdoors to protect your skin from the extreme cold. Apply a bit of hand lotion on your hands before you tuck your hands into gloves or mittens.

10. Keep your feet hydrated by slathering on a thick foot crème at night and wearing socks.

11. For super soft lips, exfoliate them once in a while. Simply run a soft toothbrush (without toothpaste) under warm water and very gently brush your lips to wipe away dead skin. Follow this treatment with quality lip balm. And make sure any lip color you use is moisturizing. Reapply lip balm again just before bed.

skin care

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