Soothe Parched Winter Skin

Exfoliate for Softer Skin

Give your skin a milk bath. The lactic acid in milk exfoliates dead skin cells and may also increase skin’s ability to hold in moisture. Soak a washcloth in cold milk. Lay the cloth on any area of skin that is particularly dry or irritated. Leave the cloth there for five minutes, and when you rinse off the milk, do it gently, so some of the lactic acid stays on your skin.

Spot Treatment

To soften rough patches of skin, fill your tub with warm water and add two cups of Epsom salt, then climb in and soak for a few minutes. While your skin is still wet, you can also rub handfuls of Epsom salt on the rough areas to exfoliate the skin. You’ll be amazed at just how good your skin feels when you get out. If you have some, you can also add a few strips of dried seaweed to your bath to boost the softening effect.

Veritas in Aloe Vera

Apply aloe vera gel to help your dry skin heal more quickly. It contains acids that eat away dead skin cells. To obtain the gel, cut off a leaf at the base and split it open with a knife. Scrape out the gel with a spoon.

Moisturizer

Use a moisturizer that contains alpha-hydroxy acids. These remove loose, flaky skin cells, leaving the skin softer. Lotions that contain urea have a similar effect.

Add More Moisture

Pit an avocado, puree the pulp, and pat it on your face as a moisturizing mask. The oil acts as an emollient. It also contains beneficial vitamin E.

Turn to any of these inexpensive products to trap in skin’s own moisture: lanolin (obtained from wool), petroleum jelly, mineral oil, peanut oil, or even vegetable shortening (such as Crisco). Just use them sparingly to avoid feeling greasy.

 For seriously chapped hands, try a product called Bag Balm, used by farmers to soften the udders of cows.

Switch Soaps

If you use a deodorant soap, stop. These soaps dry the skin. And they contain perfumes, which are irritants.

Use a super-fatted soap like Dove, Oil of Olay, or Neutrogena. These have extra oil or fat added late in the soap-making process. They leave a beneficial oily film on the skin.

Try gentle cleansers like Cetaphil and Alpha-Keri. The milder soaps in general have a pH (a measure of acidity) which is closer to that of your skin. They remove dirt without stripping away too much natural oil.

 Liquid soaps also tend to be gentler on your skin. Put a squirt bottle next to your sink for washing your hands.

Shower Sparingly

Never stay in the bath or shower for more than 15 minutes. When you take long soaks, you’re washing away your skin’s protective oils. And use lukewarm water, not hot. Hot water tends to strip the oil from your skin.

During winter months, when your skin is extra dry, bathe two or three times a week. On the “days off,” you can get by with sponge-bathing sweaty areas.

Take a bath or shower in the evening, so your skin can replace protective oils overnight while you’re sleeping.

Dampen Your Domestic Life

In the winter, make sure the humidity in your house is between 30 and 40 per cent. If your house has forced-air heating or steam radiators, the actual humidity may be far less-often, as little as 10 per cent. Buy a plug-in humidity gauge at a home-supply or hardware store to keep tabs on the humidity. When it gets below 30 per cent, turn on a humidifier.

In summer, turn on the air conditioner only when you absolutely need it. It dehumidifies the air as well as chilling it.

Eat, Drink, and Be Moister

Be sure to drink at least eight 250-milliliter glasses of water each day. Herbal teas and juices also count, but not caffeinated beverages like black tea, coffee, and sodas containing caffeine, or any drinks that include alcohol. All of those have a diuretic effect, which means you’ll lose body fluids because you’ll have to urinate more frequently.

At least twice a week, eat some oily, cold-water fish like herring or salmon. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep your skin-cell membranes healthy. Other good sources of these fatty acids are walnuts, avocados, and flaxseed oil.