The winter weather can have a major impact on your skin. Cooler weather and low humidity levels can take the moisture away from your skin and leave you feeling dry and itchy. In some cases, your skin may even crack and bleed.
To help you keep redness, itchiness, and chapping at bay, here are a few tips you can use to keep your skin happy and healthy this winter.
Keep up your good sunscreen habits
Don’t let cloudy days or winter weather fool you. Skin cancer is still a major risk during the winter months.
During the winter, the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth points away from the sun, which helps to block some of the sun’s UV rays. But, in some parts of the U.S., the UV radiation of the sun doesn’t really go away, which means your risk for skin cancer isn’t much different than it is during the summer months.
Even with cloud coverage, UV rays can still have an impact on your skin. Americans of all skin types are recommended to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher (even during the winter) for optimal skin care and protection against skin cancer.
Be careful about the moisturizer you choose
There are many different moisturizers out there that promise to hydrate your skin, but it’s important to be careful about the ones you choose to use. Many over-the-counter moisturizers are petroleum-based.
Petroleum-based ingredients can actually dry your skin out even more, especially during the winter months. That said, look for a moisturizer that has oil-based rather than petroleum-based or water-based solutions.
Oil-based moisturizers that contain natural, hydrating ingredients such as lavender and chamomile can help your body retain moisture. They also help your skin hold onto the oils it needs to stay healthy.
Don’t forget to hydrate yourself
It’s all too easy to forget to stay hydrated during the winter months because of holiday coffees, tea, and hot cocoa. But hydrating your skin from the outside isn’t enough. You also need to hydrate your skin from the inside by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Consider drinking warm water with lemon so you can still achieve those hydrating effects while also enjoying a warm drink.