What to do with dry skin in winter

It is common to have dry skin during harsh winter weather, as the bitter cold temperatures and dry air may deplete your skin’s natural moisture. Dry skin can be identified in everyone, but there are some common symptoms if you have dry skin or not. For example, your skin may turn rough and tight or sometimes begin to scale and peel away.

Fortunately, dry skin can be treated with the right routine and a few key changes in your daily habits. Let’s take a look.

Don’t take showers for too long

Taking a hot shower in winter is rather appealing, but the fact is that a long time the hot shower will take away too much of your skin’s natural hydration. Instead, the proper time should be about 10 minutes. As for the soap, the fatty acid-rich soybean oil or other plant oils would be better than parching soaps and gels.

Be careful with exfoliating

Another thing you should avoid in winter is exfoliating. Generally speaking, exfoliating is related to harsh, abrasive scrub or peel, which can further deplete moisture and worsen irritation. If you insist on it, use lactic or fruit acids or face scrub with round jojoba beads, which are less likely to cause dehydration to your skin.

Moisturize all over

After your shower, apply a hydrating moisturizer to your skin. The moisturizer should be a cream or balm that’s thicker than the lotion you used in summer, in order that it can seal the moisturizing ingredients into dry, cracked, and flaking skin. If you are not sure which moisturizer to choose, pay attention to those labeled with hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Use a humidifier

The winter air can be warm if you don’t open the windows, but it is actually very dry. Thus, you need to use a humidifier to increase the moisture in the air and open the windows on a regular basis to make sure the dry air isn’t trapped inside.

Drink more

Last but not least, keep proper hydration is directly related to your skin cell regeneration. According to the expert, the standard is to drink eight to ten cups a day of unsweetened beverages, such as water, tea, and coffee. However, note that don’t drink more water than you actually need, as it won’t help moisturize your skin, and it may increase the burden on your kidney.