Dry Itchy Skin: A Hazard of Living in Cold Weather Climates

I absolutely hate cold weather and that damage it causes to my skin! Dry Itchy skin is part of life for many Canadians (such as myself) 4 – 6 months out of the year.

During the winter months skin can get so dried, cracked and even bleed. Not to mention the fine powder of dry, flaky skin that ends up on your clothes, and bed linens. It is so important to have good dry skin care products and a good skin care regimen when you live in these conditions.

Some of the tricks I have learned to help with good dry skin care, and lessen the damage caused by winter are:

• Make sure to drink adequate water. This is important all year round. People tend to think of dehydration more in the heat of summer, but dehydration can and does occur all year round. Drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water daily will help to prevent this. Dehydration really sucks the moisture out of your skin.
• Using filtered water even when taking showers and baths will aid in good dry skin care. Sometimes this may not be an option because getting a water filtration system can cost a few dollars. But once you have it, you won’t be without it. Tap water is very harsh on the skin because of all the additives such as chlorine and fluoride.
• Do not have hot steamy showers. As relaxing as they can be that hot water is very drying on the skin. Instead use only lukewarm – warm water.
• Run a humidifier in your home. Do you notice how during winter months, you are plagued with static electricity on your hair, and clothing? It’s because the air is so dry, and of course that dry air sucks the moisture out of your skin, leaving you with dry itchy skin.
• If you can’t afford a humidifier, place buckets of water around your home, the water will evaporate into the air, adding some moisture back.
• Always cover your skin as much as you can when going outside. The cold air especially with just a hint of wind is terribly drying.
• Finally, having a good dry skin care lotion is essential to adding a protective layer to your skin. Be sure that the lotion does not contain any harsh scents or fragrances. And check the label to make sure the product you are using is not just filled with things such as mineral oils and or petroleum products that do more damage to your skin than good.

Using these simple tricks will really help you with the dry itchy skin of winter. Finding an excellent body lotion is a priority if you want to minimize the damage caused by cold weather conditions. If you’d like some help in researching the best products available, visit my website.