Many people experience dry skin; to keep your skin soft and supple, you would need to retain the skin’s natural moisture. Come winter and your skin becomes itchy, dry, and rough. Extremely cold weather conditions can deplete your body of all the moisture thus rendering it dry and itchy.
Wearing multi layered thick clothing can aggravate the situation all the more with your skin getting no breathing at all. It’s good to use moisturizers throughout the year in your skin care regimen. However in winter you have to focus more on dry skin treatment. This will aid in removing any dryness or itchiness and will prevent it in the future.Dry skin contains very low sebum amount which makes it sensitive. Its excessive loss of moisture causes it to be parch and tight. You have to use moisture on your skin constantly; otherwise you see a lot of chapping which indicates skin that is extremely dry and dehydrated.
Dry skin tends to drape over the bones tightly to cause it to look dull, especially near the eyes and cheeks and around the eyes. You may notice fine lines also around the eyes and mouth corners.
There are many ways you can take to prevent dry skin. Do not use tap water or hot water to wash. Tap water deposits are no good on your dry skin; mineral water is best but not with a rough texture cloth; that can irritate your skin further. Spray some mineral water onto your dry skin every morning before patting dry.
A lot of cleansing
Cleansing should be gentle while thorough. Together with some regular massage to stimulate your skin, you will see a marked improvement on your skin condition in due time. Apply lots of moisture and oil on your skin as much as possible. Some tend to use a lot of soap to remove grime but it also removes your skin’s natural oils. Hence, you need to replace the lost oil with some moisturizer to give your skin the soft and moist look.
Cleanse your skin with non-detergent and neutral-pH products instead of commercial soap. The latter, like all alkaline products, contain a high amount of drying ingredients which can cause your skin to be drier. Clean your face gently with a double cleansing routine using a cream. Leave a light film on your skin after your second cleansing.
After a bath, put on a little baby oil. Give your face a gentle massage with some nourishing cream, especially at night. This will help you avoid crow’s feet.
Avoid long hot baths
One precaution you can take is to avoid long hot water baths. Although hot water baths are very soothing and relaxing, but the hot water can dry up your skin all the more. Try having a bath with lukewarm water. Do not spend long hours having a bath. Finish up your bath quickly within fifteen minutes. While drying yourself, do not rub your skin vigorously. Be gentle and pat it dry as your skin is already very sensitive. Bathing too often washes away your skin’s thin lipid layer of oil that forms to protect your skin while keeping it supple and moist.
Natural oils and creams
You can make use of natural oils as moisturizers. Oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil work wonders, making your skin less prone to dryness with regular application. Steer clear from mineral oils as the body is not good at absorbing these and you can actually end up blocking your pores. Shea butter is a good option as it nourishes the skin and keeps it hydrated. You can use this after having your bath or in the night. Aloe vera works fine also, if used in a cream which has this as an active ingredient. Make sure the skin products you use have any of these oils as they can work really well for your skin.
Use gentle cleansers
Make sure the soaps, cleansers, and the cleansing products you use are very mild. They should not contain any perfumes or alcohols as these things are dehydrants. They end up robbing your skin of all of its moisture. Use products which have glycerine or glycerol as its ingredients.
Have a healthy lifestyle by eating a healthy diet rich in vitamins and nutrients, and drink plenty of water and fluids to keep yourself hydrated all the time. Invest in a good quality moisturizer and see your dryness vanish away.
Day and Night Moisturizing
Moisturizing is very important to keep your skin from drying. Apply moisturizer to your skin after cleansing. Wait for five minutes to allow absorption of moisturizer into your skin before blotting any excess with a tissue.
Men can moisturize after a shave without going for a toning. Wait for ten minutes to allow absorption before moisturizing again, if you have dry skin.
Milk baths
If you really like to laze in the bath tub, then opt for a milk bath instead of a hot bath or sauna. A milk bath can nourish your skin and smoothen it. Just add 250 g powdered milk and half a tablespoon almond oil with a couple of drops of perfume into your bath tub of water.
Check your environment
It could be that it is too dry for your skin. If so, consider a humidifier to enhance the moisture level in your environment. You can even use a simple pail of water which can be placed near the radiator to improve the humidity during winter. This can reduce moisture lost through evaporation.
Do not stay too late in hot rooms. Avoid experiencing sudden temperature changes that can affect your skin’s moisture such as from the air-conditioning office into the hot sun for lunch.
Facial routine
Consider a facial routine that can remove your dry skin’s dullness. The dead cell built up must be removed regularly. You can use some good commercial facial mask or home mask remedies for this purpose, such as some green clay powder with a teaspoon raw honey. After the application, put on some oil or moisturizer onto your face.
Reference: http://www.ladyzona.com
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