Battling Dry Skin in the Cold

Some of us are very fortunate to live in warm weather states in the South and Western United States. Others have to battle the cold weather and this really changes the feel and look of our skin. The negative effect of the cold weather can lead to chapped lips, flaking skin, itchy and dry skin.

First we should know some basic things about the composition of skin. We have many layers of skin and the content varies depending on the layer. The epidermis is about eighty percent made up of water content. The surface is much dryer and has many dead cells and will contain less water. We are looking about 15 to 30% content.

When the skin is up against cold climate without any protection, the effects result in dry skin. The outer layer of skin has less water content making it prone to bacterial infections, and other unpleasant reactions.

One of easiest ways to help against dry skin is using moisturizers on a regular basis. Moisturizers replenish the skin and help lessen water loss. Some basic things that we can do to help our dry skin include:
• Moisturize your skin after taking a shower or your bath. Using moisturizer while your skin is still damp to helps keep the moisture in the skin.
• Using hand moisturizers after each hand washing.
• Moisturizers are to be used before you feel that you dry is skin. Meaning don’t wait until you see physical traits of dry skin before applying moisturizer.
• Using protective clothing to cover your skin when you are outside in the elements. This means wearing scarves, gloves and hats and moisturizers.
• Drinking plenty of water will help your skin.
• One common misconception is taking a hot bath after being out in the cold will not actually help your skin. In fact, you will lose many natural oils on your skin.

These are just some useful tips in keeping our skin looking fresh and vibrant, despite being in the cold weather. Overall moisturizers increase water content, reduce water loss, helps the skin barrier. It is these little things on a regular basis which will make the difference between one person having excellent skin and another having dry skin.

Other important factors in dry skin is using proper cleansers and anti-aging creams to help the regiment of dry skin. Although moisturizers are an important part of the formula against dry skin, there are other components. This includes washing your face properly with cleanser and taking off makeup before sleeping. We need to follow these steps to help combat the skin whether we are in the cold or hot weather.

Dry Skin
Moisturizers are great for dry skin