We may not believe the reports citing Neil Nitin Mukesh to be a part of ‘Game of Thrones,’ but there is one quote from the ultra-famous TV Show that we can certainly place our bets on- “Brace yourselves. Winter is coming.”
Since winters can be really taxing to us Indians, considering the texture of our oriental skin, we need to take extra care of it. Winter causes dryness to the exposed parts of our skin, mainly, face, hands and feet. For some people the dryness doesn’t just restrict to rendering a tight feeling to the skin, it ultimately results in flaking, cracking or even eczema causing the skin to get inflamed. This can be extremely risky in the long run. Hence, do not let yourself suffer anymore and instill these 10 steps into your lifestyle to take care of your skin better in the impending winters:
Seek a Specialist
Salespeople at the medical stores are good, but their advice will always be biased to some extent. It’s always better to see a specialist for the same purpose. Go seek a dermatologist or an esthetician at least once. And by the way, this doesn’t mean that a specialist will only suggest expensive products to you, the less expensive products also work just fine. It’s totally up to how your body responds to the product. It’s finding the best fit.
Moisturize More
Your moisturizer in summers and spring may have worked perfectly fine, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be just as perfect in the winters as well. For this, an ‘ointment’ moisturizer is a good option in the winters. Many lotions labeled as “night creams” can work as apt substitutes.
Continue to use Sunscreen
There is a very common misconception that sunscreen is only meant to be used in the summers. That is absolutely untrue. If you can’t feel the heat due to the sun in the winters does not mean that the sun is not harming your skin. The sun is still there working itself on your face. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen to the exposed parts of your skin in the winters. And do that at least 30 minutes prior to stepping out. Reapply if you are out in the skin for long.
Give Your Hands a Hand
Did you know that your hands, that do the most amount of physical work for you throughout the day, have thinner skin on them as compared to the rest of the body’s? Surprising! Even the oil glands are fewer on the hands, which makes it harder to keep them moist in cold weather. Wearing gloves is always the best idea in the winters because they help avoid consequential itchiness or cracking on the hands due to winters. But having said that.
Avoid Wet Gloves and Socks
This is more harmful than helpful. Wet socks and gloves irritate your skin causing itching, sores, cracking and even eczema.
Hook Up the Humidifier
If there is moisture wherever you are, that prevents your skin from drying out. Installing a humidifier at your place evens out the moisture dispersed by the central heating systems.
Hydrate for Your Health, Not for Your Skin
You might have heard it a thousand times before: Hydrate your skin by drinking water regularly. This is an absolute myth. Drinking 10-12 glasses of water is good for your body alright but it does nothing to ensure that your skin also keeps hydrated. Bust this common misconception. You need to do a lot more to keep your face healthy and non-dry than just drink lots of water.
Grease Up Your Feet
Whatever you have been using all summer to keep your feet looking lovely should be kept aside to be used in the next summers. You need something stronger lotions in the winters, like glycerine or petroleum jelly. You need to peel off your dead skin regularly.
Pace the Peels
Stop using peel-offs or face masks in the winters that irritate your facial skin or make it completely dry. Use cleansing milk or mild foaming moisturizers for your face instead that are devoid of any alcohol whatsoever. Use them little, not too much.
Ban Superhot Baths
This may seem absolutely sinful from our side, but if you wish to do your skin any good in the winters, do not take baths in very hot water. Always keep it lukewarm at the maximum. If the water is too hot, it breaks down the lipid barriers in your facial skin leading to loss of moisture. Also, keep your bathing durations lesser. Using baking soda is a good idea during a lukewarm bath – it hydrates your facial skin.
Feature Image Source:wintercount.org
This post was ealier published in November 2015
