Winter Skin Care

We need to pamper and provide some extra care to our skin to avoid dryness in winter.
In case of dry skin, the condition worsens. Here are some tips for the winter care.
Using of moisturizers and cold creams are beneficial in winter. Good moisturizers will form a protective barrier for the skin to protect it from harsh elements. Use creamier and water-in-oil emulsions round-the-clock after bath. Adding a few drops of oil into water before taking bath will help in retaining the moisture even after the bath.
Care for lips: Lips become easily chapped during winter. Use a lip balm to keep lips moist.
• Apply cold cream or vaseline on the lips before going to bed. Butter is also an effective medicine.
• Apply milk cream or vaseline mixed with honey and after 10 minutes, wash it off with warm water.
Take warm and short showers: Bathing with hot water will dry out and damage the hair. So, use warm or cool water. Longer showers will lead to dryness of skin, so shorten bathtime.
Hands and legs: One of the concerns of winter is dry hands and cracking fingers due to over-exposure to cold weather. After washing your hands, pat it dry with a towel. Apply moisturizer and use rubber gloves while immersing hands in water. This will prevent the winter itch.
• To soften the hands, rub a mixture made of equal parts of rosewater and glycerin. Apply ‘Milk cream’ on wrist and fingers to keep them soft.
• Massage the exposed parts (hands, arms and other areas) with hand lotion. ‘Hand lotion’ can be prepared by mixing lemon juice with rose water.
• To avoid dry legs after each shower, leave legs for little damp and slather on the moisturizer. For foot protection, wear socks and slather and foot cream. Elbows and knees suffer the driest patches.
• To avoid this, rub a lemon on the area and then apply cream.
Nails: Keep nails moist and prevent them from crack; applying a nail hardener will protect and toughen the nail. Routinely brush nails with cuticle / nail oil / petroleum jelly to soften. Drinking inadequate water may lead to weak, splitting, fragile nails.
Exfoliate (facials and body treatments): The dryness of the environment causes water to evaporate very quickly and it removes the moisture from the skin. Exposure to water actually dehydrates the skin faster. Therefore, the skin finds it harder to retain water in the dermis layer. Having Exfoliate twice a week helps to remove dead skin cells and allow the skin to absorb more moisture.
Drink lots of water: The most important part of winter is to keep the body hydrated. Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. Drinking a glass of hot water with lemon will re-energize and detoxify the body and will clean the blood faster to relieve toxins which are responsible for bad skin.
Sleep well: Sleeping will rejuvenate the body. During sleep, the oxygen levels in the body will drop. Having sufficient sleep for eight to nine hours will re-new the cells quickly avoiding the degenerative skin.
Continue to use sunscreen: Use more hydrating base sunscreens in which formulations available are oil-free. Apply a heavy layer of moisturizing broad-spectrum sunscreen before going out.
More bad skin during winter: Skin conditions turn worse during winter damaging the skin. The ultraviolet rays of the sun will help to reduce the formation of acne. So when summer sun is gone, acne may flare up.
Use humidifier: Using a humidifier in room during winter will keep air moisturized. This will avoid skin from drying out and becoming cracked.
Hair care: Hair easily becomes dry during winter. Proper steps should be taken to avoid damage. Wearing a scarf, hat or cap will protect the hair from the cold and wind, but do not tie tightly as it will hamper the circulation in hair scalp.
Using a conditioner and rinsing hair with cold water will give it an extra shine. Don’t go outside with wet hair, it will freeze if it’s cold enough and the hair may break. Woolen clothing like hats, scarves and turtlenecks can cause damage and break the hair. So, first cover your hair with a silk scarf before wearing winter wraps.
Do not use soap: If your skin is oily, then wash your face with soap only once a day. Cleansing-cream must be used in case of a dry skin, for oily skin use skin-tonic. Do not wash face with very hot water. Use of moisturizer reduces dryness of the skin.
Care for dry skin: High speed winds and imbalance in tempe-rature causes dry skin resulting in flake, chap, around face, eyes and cheekbones tightening the skin. To avoid cracking and chapping, some steps can be followed:
• Before taking bath, apply a pack. Mix a teaspoon of honey in 2 tablespoons of milk or cream and massage it over face and neck and after 20 minutes take a shower with warm water.
• Massage the skin with a little coconut oil before bath to heal dryness and chaps. • Use cooler water to wash off any lotion or creams. • Use egg yolk mixed with olive oil and honey.
• Avoid alcohol-based products, as they tend to dry the skin. • Cold cream and olive oil are effective in reducing dryness. • Use tomato and raspberry juice for facial cleaning. • Mix water and vinegar in equal quantity, apply it on face with a cotton swab.
Oily Skin: Apply a beaten egg yolk mask for half-an-hour, and rinse with water. This mask will refreshen and tighten oily skin and make skin much healthier.
• Apply a paste of squash flesh of tomato mixing with potato flour.
• Cucumber will whiten the skin
• An equal proportion of raw oatmeal flakes, egg yolk, and honey are good for winter. Apply this mask for about 20 minutes then wash with lukewarm water and pat dry.
For combination skin banana mask will help. Mix mashed banana with fresh sweet cream and apply mask for 30 minutes. It will smooth, soften, moisturize and nourish the skin. Mix 1/4 cup of rose water, glycerin and a teaspoon of honey and keep. This lotion can be used as moisturizer during cleansing.
[Wednesday 3rd December 2008]