With cool temperatures outdoors and cozy warmth indoors, your
skin can take a hit. Care for it properly during these chilly
winter months
The cold wind blows outside, the heater rumbles inside and that’s when it begins – the itch. Maybe your skin has been a little flaky lately, feeling tight after your shower or looking kind of cracked. Then you start scratching and you’ve joined the ranks of people who suffer from what doctors call “winter itch.” The key to avoiding it is making sure your skin is moisturized and healthy this winter.
“The big thing with winter weather is a significant drop in the air’s humidity,” said Dr. Steven Swengel, former chief of dermatology at Kaiser Permanente Santa Teresa Medical Center and current director of Mohs surgery (an advanced skin cancer treatment) and the Cosmetic Services center. “When humidity drops, the lipid barrier on skin that helps keep moisture in becomes less efficient. Then heaters and heat from the fireplace pull even more moisture out of the air, and the air in our homes and offices and cars becomes bone dry. It’s like desert air being blown on our skin.”
The lack of moisture in the air can leave our skin itchy, cracked, wrinkled and generally uncomfortable. Even people who regularly moisturize their skin may find that their regular regiment isn’t working, said Susie Montgomery, an aesthetician at Tranquility Day Spa in Hollister.
“The moisturizer you use in summer may not be the one you should use in winter,” she explained. “You may need a little heavier moisturizer to help your skin cope with the elements.”
Good moisturizers don’t need to be expensive or even have a brand name, said Swengel, adding that he’s often shocked to hear about people buying $1,200 La Mer moisturizer at Neiman Marcus.
“Don’t buy into anything that says it’s anti-aging, anti-wrinkle or firming,” he said. “Hydrated skin will look better because moisturized skin tends to plump up, getting rid of a lot of fine lines. So, if people want to look better, don’t worry about all these promises. Just make sure to keep skin hydrated. I like the Cetaphil line, which is available in bulk at Costco, and Kiehl’s, which is an old apothecary company from New York, available online.”
Swengel said he also likes soaps such as Dove and Neutrogena, which aren’t harsh on skin like deodorant soaps. He recommends lotions that are fragrance-free and designed for very dry or sensitive skin. Another good way to seal moisture into skin is by rubbing products such as baby oil or Neutrogena’s sesame oil over your body while it’s still damp from the shower, he said.
Most people should probably take a long look at their daily skin care routine and the products they use, Montgomery said.
“A lot of people become what I call ‘product junkies,’ and they have a million different things on their counter that their friends have recommended,” she explained. “They often don’t even know what’s working for them or what’s not working for them, or they’re seeing advertisements and believing all the claims those ads make.”
Montgomery recommends finding an aesthetician that offers a free consultation. They should tell you about your personal skin type and offer a few skin-care tips. For people having a particularly bad time with dry winter skin, try professional special deep-moisturizing sessions with the aesthetician, who should work out something to fit your budget.
When giving her free consultations, Montgomery said she often hears about people exfoliating too often.
“Some people exfoliate every day, and that’s going to suck out a lot of moisture from your skin,” she said. “Depending on your skin type, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. Anything else is too much. And people should remember that there’s a lot of layers to skin. If it’s really dry and damaged, it will take a couple of weeks to really get hydrated again.”
Other ways to keep skin healthy in winter include using a humidifier at home to put moisture back in the air, avoiding Jacuzzis and heavily chlorinated water, saunas and traveling to colder climates, all of which can dry out skin, Swengel said. The most common area people complain about having dry skin is the lower legs.
Both Swengel and Montgomery also said it’s okay to use body lotion on your face in a pinch, but for every-day use, put a moisturizer that’s labeled as a facial lotion on your face and body lotion on your body.
“The stratum corneum – that’s the top layer of skin – is like Saran Wrap for our bodies: It holds all the moisture in and keeps the elements and bacteria out,” Swengel said. “Without it, we would literally ooze to death. It’s so important to keep that stratum corneum healthy – important for health and comfort.”
