Most notably, wondering why our skin is flaking off like snowfall. We caught up with women's health and anti-aging expert Dr. Susan Lin to find out how to troubleshoot dry winter skin with five tips that take less than five minutes each.
1. Hang a wet towel over your door
Moisten a bath towel before bedtime, and hang it over your door frame before going to sleep at night. Doing so emulates the effect of a humidifier, for a fraction of the cost. "A simple wet towel works to hydrate the air," explained Lin, which can prevent dry patches from forming.
2. Seal your lotion with oil
After using a moisturizer on your dry patches, seal it in with a product like Vaseline or coconut oil. "You can use any petroleum jelly, natural oil or vitamin C serum," said Lin. Oils hold in your skin's natural moisture, which can revitalize dryness overnight.
3. Ban hot showers
It's tempting to warm up in a blazing hot shower, but Lin advises against the practice. "Wash with cooler water in your shower," she said. "If you must use hot water, keep your shower short to prevent further dryness."
4. Choose a non-lathering soap
Lathering is synonymous with cleaning, right? Nope, says Lin, lathering just strips the skin of its protective outer layers. "Use natural soaps fortified with essential oil instead. Moisturizing soaps shouldn't lather."
5. Reap the benefits of toner
Finally, if your skin still resists moisture after you troubleshoot, Lin suggests that you invest in one or two products that can tone and rejuvenate the skin from the inside out. "A balancing toner both exfoliates dry, flaky skin, while soothing underlying irritation," she said. A good toner also avoids the irritation that can occur with harsh exfoliants. She suggests MD Skin Balancing Solution for deeply troubled winter skin.
Now get out there and enjoy the snowfall — you know, the variety that doesn't come from your skin.
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