By Isabella Schneider
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago I became accustomed to the dry skin associated with frigid cold Winters. However, the techniques I used to maintain moisture in Chicago didn’t work with Arizona’s warm, dry climate.
In the winter, Arizona’s climate becomes even drier and will strip whatever moisture you have out of your skin. My skin has been feeling especially cracked and dull this year due to consistent hand washing and the alcohols in hand sanitizer. Besides dry skin feeling uncomfortable, it can also make you look a lot older. After conducting some basic research, I’ve found five of the best techniques for keeping your skin healthy this winter.
1. Choose a fragrance-free moisturizer, or make your own!
According to an article by Well + Good, fragrances are highly allergenic which can cause rashes and other skin irritations.
This skin irritation can then dry your skin out. Well + Good also reported that fragrances are usually a blend of 5,000 fragrance molecules, which can make it hard for those with sensitive skin to know which scents to avoid.
If you aren’t sure you’ll pick a lotion that’s entirely fragrance-free, you could make your own at home!
An article by ClassPass lists coconut oil, vitamin E oil, olive oil, orange oil, and lavender oil as essential ingredients. Try out this five star rated recipe from Live Simply!
2. Choose a moisturizer with SPF
In addition to choosing an unscented lotion, picking one with an SPF of 30+ will help with keeping your skin moisturized this winter.
While it may seem unnecessary to use SPF in the winter due to the cooler temperatures, it’s actually important to protect your skin year-round because UV radiation still exists.
However, you must be putting on enough lotion, otherwise, the SPF in your moisturizer will not be enough to protect your skin.
3. Take quick, cool showers
Although it may feel great to hop in a hot steamy shower after a cold winter day, hot showers can dry out your skin.
According to Healthline, hot water damages the keratin cells on the outer layer of the skin.
By disrupting these cells, it prevents them from locking in moisture.
3. Exfoliate Weekly
Exfoliating can help prevent clogged pores and remove patches of dry, flaky skin. By opening the pores, it allows your moisturizers to go deeper into the skin.
However, if you exfoliate too often, it can irritate the skin and cause redness.
4. Switch to a creamy cleanser in the shower
According to an article from MSN, using a body wash with moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides can help trap water in the skin.
Like scents and chemicals in normal lotions, normal body washes could be causing your skin to dry, so choosing one that moisturizes you can help combat the dryness from typical shower gels.
Overall, while the average temperature is 60 degrees in Arizona during the winter, the lowered temperatures create a recipe for dry, cracked, and chapped skin.
Use these tips to take care of your skin and restore moisture during the cooler season.
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