5 Tips for Preventing Dry Skin in Winter

Dry skin is a big problem for most people in the winter when cold, dry air sucks the moisture from the skin. Since the humidity is very low the skin can't absorb the moisture that it needs. There are several methods to prevent this problem and keep your skin moist and soft. Below are 5 tips for preventing dry skin in the winter.



1. Take short, warm showers instead of long, hot baths. Warm showers are generally better since they don't immerse the skin in hot soapy water. The use of soap and hot water break down the natural oils on the skin that help keep moisture in.



2. Pat your skin dry after showering instead of rubbing. This can also help not to remove the necessary oils from your skin and prevent dry skin.



3. Apply moisturizer directly after washing. Using moisturizing soap can also help to prevent dry skin from constant washing. The moisturizer can help add moisture back to the skin, but it can also provide a barrier so that skin oils and moisture aren't removed.



4. Avoid the use of harsh soaps or moisturizers that contain alcohol. Harsh soaps can often have synthetic chemicals as their ingredients, which aren't good for long term use because the chemicals can build up in the body. The use of moisturizers that contain alcohol are generally the most pleasant to use because they aren't as greasy. However, the alcohol can cause drying if they are used repeatedly, which is the opposite of the desired effect.



5. Moisturizers need to be applied several times daily to be effective in preventing dry skin. The greasier a moisturizer appears to be the more it will help in preventing dry skin. The greasy texture is caused by oils that more closely mimic the fatty oils naturally produced by the skin to keep it moist.



Dry skin in the winter is a problem for most of us, but one that is easy to treat using the five useful tips above. As long as you take warm showers, pat dry, and apply a slightly greasy non-alcohol moisturizer afterwards and two to three times daily you should be able to prevent dry skin in the dry winter months.