5 Tips To Combat Winter Skin

You wash your hands for the 10th time today. How else are you going to combat the flu thats on a rampage right now. As a result, your hands ache, crack, and itch like crazy. Winter skin, it happens every year, and you look forward to the day that your winter skin sheds as the sun begins to shine warmth again. Winter seems long, which is why it is important to find ways to take care of your skin through the long winter months.

Avoid Use of Deodorant Soaps

Deodorant soap is essentially a product containing fragrance, and deodorizers to eliminate body odor. For example, brands like Dial, Softsoap and Ivory all of products considered deodorant soaps. A large majority of deodorant soaps also are antibacterial which means they contain triclosan. Triclosan increases risk of antibiotic resistance, is toxic to the environment and is shown to not be any more effective compared to regular soap.

With the fragrance and deodorizer ingredients in deodorant soaps, your skin is way more prone to crack and dry out. The less fragrance and chemicals in your soap, the better for your skin.

Have a refreshing brisk morning shower

I love hot steamy showers and baths, however my skin hates them. The longer you are in water, the more your skin dries out. Furthermore, according to the Harvard website, using hot water washes away natural oils on your skin. Consequently your skin doesn’t have those natural oils to maintain moisture. A cold or lukewarm shower in the morning not only wakes you up, but also allows your skin a chance to keep those wonderful natural oils it already has.

Add Butter to That Winter Skin

Now that you know to avoid deodorant soaps, how do you know what soap to get? Looking at the ingredients in a soap is so important. Stick to a soap that has ingredients that are known to moisturize as opposed to soap that exfoliates.

One ingredient that is commonly known to moisturize is Shea butter. Shea butter contains fatty acids and nutrients to help the skin stay moisturized, nourished and maintain its natural oils. Shea butter is used all around the world to protect and replenish the skin. When added to a soap, Shea butter helps keep the skin soft while still cleansing the skin.

Pay Attention to Your Laundry

The chemicals you expose your clothes to are also chemicals you expose your skin to. Pay attention to what detergents you are using, and try to avoid chemicals as much as possible. One way to easily avoid chemicals in your laundry is by switching from dryer sheets to dryer balls. This simple and cost effective switch helps your clothes dry just as fast, while also being chemical free. Dryer balls are naturally made from wool that do the same job as dryer sheets. You like the smell of dryer sheets? Simply put a few drops of essential oil to your dryer ball and you are good to go!

Drink Water

The most obvious, yet most ignored way to combat dry skin is to drink water. It is a simple science of hydrating your body and skin through drinking water. The more water you drink, the better your skin will look. You will also feel better too.

Here’s to hoping you find yourself reading this article as the warm March sun is shining and you bookmark it to remember to read next winter. Take care of your skin, take care of yourself.