The holidays are over, yet winter drags on with more dry air and cold temperatures. Whether your New Year’s resolutions will stick remains to be determined, but here are 6 basic skin-care resolutions from SkyMD that are easy to keep. Winter may not be so good to your skin, but you can treat it better in 2017 – and step 1 to better skin is keeping it moisturized.
Skin-friendly bathing
No matter how good a long shower or bath may feel after a busy day, keep in mind that lengthy bathing is more likely to wash away your skin’s natural oils. To avoid stripping your skin of its natural protective barrier – which normally helps lock moisture in – limit the length of time you spend in the shower. The goal is to get clean without leaving your hair and skin dull or dried out.
Moisturize and exfoliate the smart way
Apply moisturizer right away after bathing to lock the moisture in. Seek out a gentle exfoliant to use periodically (once a week). Be careful though! Over-exfoliation is even more likely to cause irritation, especially this time of year, but will help smooth the surface of your skin and remove dead cells. Using a mild exfoliant before self-tanning is also suggested.
Moisture within reach
Place your preferred lotion or skin cream and lip balm within easy reach: by the shower, at your bedside, in coat pockets, or in the car. When the moment comes to moisturize, you’ll want to be ready. Seek out travel-size products for your convenience.
Hydrate for your overall health
While drinking water won’t directly boost the vitality and moisture in your skin, getting enough H2O is extremely important for your entire body year-round. When you are adequately hydrated, your overall health stands to benefit, including your skin.
Mind your heat
After coming in from outdoors, your first instinct may be to turn up the heat. While the air is already dry outside as-is, any kind of indoor heating (particularly central air systems) can leave it even more parched. Heaters blast warm, very dry air into your living space. Only turn up the heat as necessary. Use a humidifier to counter this dry-air effect (or multiple small humidifiers if you have a larger home or apartment).
Be in-the-know
Wondering what exactly is best for your own skin type during this time of year? Your drugstore will have a never-ending selection of products for you to ponder, and the people around you will say many different things about how to cope with dry skin.
Seeking the advice of a specialist is more important than ever, and now it’s easier than ever too! Consult with a dermatologist online today via SkyMD. A dermatologist can consider your individual skin type to help you improve your current skin care regimen and suggest the types of products that will work best at an optimal cost.