What Causes Dry Skin in Winter and How to Treat It?

For the most part, we’re all fans of winter. Christmas and the feeling of being cozy inside our nice, warm houses makes for exciting thoughts, while the thought of a new year and a new start is another major plus point for being excited about the winter season. Some people however - me, included - do take a small bit of suffering from the colder months and the cold, crisp bite of the temperature outside takes its harsh toll. While winter is for the main a season to be jolly, if you suffer from sensitive or dry skin, it can often be the toughest season to navigate.

Dry skin is often a by-product of some of the things you use as skincare. Irritation and dry skin come hand-in-hand and if you suffer from them, you will know that if you let either get too bad, they will cause you huge discomfort and pain. It’s an unfortunate by-product of the elements outside. But just what is it about the winter months that turn our skin from silky smooth to sore? One if the problems could be how you’re treating dry skin, or whether you suffer from any underlying problems.

The reason that skin becomes dry during winter is simple. Because your body gets cold and the humidity drops in the air and your body is less likely to sweat (because you don’t need to in the cold!) you will find your skin drying out much easier, which in turn makes the skin become painful and chapped. 

One cause of dry, irritable skin could be eczema. Eczema, a condition which results in the sufferer from having irritable and sensitive skin, is a pain and only gets worse during the winter months. If it goes untreated, the sore patch/patches can become inflamed, while sleeping becomes a problem - stopping yourself from itching while you’re asleep is one of the hardest things to do, and only ends up making the situation even worse. What you need to do is treat your skin before it becomes inflamed.

READ Natural Treatment For Eczema - 10 Simple and Quick Steps

Although sore skin comes from dry air and through cold temperature, another cause of dry skin is actually bathing and showering in water that is too hot. Even though it may sound like an oxymoron compared to earlier paragraphs, the hot water dries out your skin too. Bathing in lukewarm water is the best way to go. Either extreme temperature will end up doing you more harm than good.

While winter may cause you some pain, it’s also worth mentioning that if you’re heading outside in the cold, covering up with multiple layers and appropriate clothing to keep you warm is something you need to do. The bite of the winter chill can affect bare skin or barely covered skin, but if you protect yourself with a scarf, hat and cover the parts of your body that hurt, you can reduce the pain that comes with cold air. It’s also just a sensible way to dress in winter.

Dry Skin: Tips to Help

Reducing Your Pain  

Understandably, there are times that you can’t stop winter having its way and giving you chapped, dry skin. For when this is the case, you need to be able to reduce the pain and even get rid of the dry, cracked skin. There are a few different methods to do this, because luckily enough this is a problem that has been studied and suffered from for years and years.

Choose Your Products

Firstly, and most basically: make sure you’re using the best products to help make you feel better. This means moisturizer and it means skin-sensitive toiletries. Aveeno, a brand I have used before, are a great skincare brand. Aveeno is a company that uses natural ingredients to help sooth and ease aggressive skin problems. Be sure to check the bottle whichever brand you buy, and try and do your research. Perfumed products are never good for your skin, especially if it is easily irritable. 

A good clothes detergent is also needed. And I don’t mean in terms of cleaning. Choosing non-bio powder/capsules to wash your clothes with is something you need to be doing. Non-bio products have the enzymes that make bio products so effective taken out. As these enzymes are part of what irritates skin, non-bio is very popular among the sensitive skin fraternity.

Clean Up Correctly

Not that I want to tell you how to wash, but, well, I’m going to. We’ve discussed the products but there is a whole package here. Take short showers or baths, that are warm, not hot. Keeping yourself clean and fresh is a really good way to keep your rashes and dry skin calm and less sore. You can also moisturize your skin right after cleaning, as this will add oils to your skin that may have been taken out during your shower.

Defeat Dandruff

Dandruff is also a problem during the winter as well as all year round. Over-the-counter shampoo can usually help this, but if you’re changing your lifestyle to cater for the problem, such as wearing other, lighter clothes or wearing hats, you need to consult a doctor or a dermatologist. You can get moisture creams for your face too, as your eyebrows and beard can often suffer, but as these are smaller patches, you can usually ease this problem relatively quickly.

READ Hand Sanitizer Vs. Soap And Water - Which Wins?

Avoid Excessive Hand Washing

Another piece of washing advice, but this one is important. If you’re getting dry skin, washing your hands may actually dry them out even more. Of course, wash them during toilet breaks, but try and avoid often washing them out of habit. That will cause you to get cracked palms and sore skin, so instead of washing your hands, buy gels or creams that do a similar job and apply these when you feel the need to wash your hands.

Dry skin is a real pain during winter, and you can often feel more and more frustrated with your skin when the simple changes above can help you calm your irritation through the dry, cold months. The calming warm months aren’t far away, so use the above treatments to relax yourselves into the winter.