Winter skin

2015-12-28

With falling temperatures and travel up north comes the smell of firewood burning, holiday lights, and dry, chapped skin. Coming in from the cold and facing blasting heat doesn't help, either. So what's the best way to keep your skin in top shape?

Ban the fragrance. Great smelling soaps mean dry, irritated skin. Look for cleansers that are fragrance free and for sensitive skin, like Cetaphil, Cerave, or unscented Dove.

Turn down the heat - in the shower, that is. Hot water zaps moisture from skin. It's better to take a cooler, shorter shower.

When your skin is still damp from the shower, put on a moisturizing cream - not lotion. Again, no fragrance here either. Some good ones are Eucerin or Cetaphil cream.

Special spots: slather Aquaphor on hands and feet before bedtime for extra moisturizing. Creams that contain alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids, such as SkinMedica's AHA/BHA cream (available at Premier Dermatology, MD) also help with extra thick rough patches.

And pay attention to clothing, too. Avoid dryer sheets and make sure detergent is also fragrance free. Wool clothing can be irritating to skin.

Remember, even though the weather is cool outside, the sun's rays are still strong. A broad spectrum sunscreen needs to be applied every single day. At Premier Dermatology, Md, we love EltaMD's physical sunblocks and SkinCeuticals matte sunblock.

Keep your skin healthy and jolly all season long!

PDMD

Winter skin