Winterizing Your Skin
Dr. Susan Taylor’s Prescription for Dry Skin and Lips

December 21 marks the first day of winter – the season for dry skin and chapped lips. Although the cold weather is just approaching, many of my patients both at Society Hill Dermatology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and at the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City are already experiencing these common winter ailments. Even though the really bitter weather is just descending upon us, the moisture in the air is very low, which leads to the dryness that we are currently experiencing. And as temperatures continue to drop, our skin will continue to become drier. To combat winter weather and keep skin moisturized and beautiful, I recommend the following protective skin tips:

• Limit baths or showers to 4-5 minutes, using lukewarm water. Even though you enjoy long, hot baths or showers to get you going during those cold weather mornings, it may be time to give them up. I am not suggesting cold showers, but it is important to turn the temperature down and not linger in the water.
  
• Use a non-drying, mild soap for cleansing. It is time to retire the deodorant soap that you used all summer. Instead, consider using a non-drying soap or cleanser (and sparingly) in the bath or shower. Apply soap to areas where you are prone to perspire or where dirt readily accumulates (face, hands, feet, underarms and groin area).
  
• Moisturize daily. Moisturizing the skin each day is essential. During the winter it is appropriate to use a rich lotion or cream that will trap much needed moisture in your skin. When you come out of the shower or bath, apply the moisturizer to your damp skin. This will help to seal the moisture in and provide a protective barrier from the environment. Also, if your current moisturizer is not doing the job, consider changing to a thicker, more emolliating variety.
  
• Put moisture into the air. Our home and office heating systems blow dry air into our surroundings. The dry air then robs our skin of moisture. Buy a humidifier for your bedroom, living room or office to add moisture to the air. For a low cost alternative, distribute several plants throughout your home and office. After watering the plant, the water will travel up the stem, into the leaves and diffuse out into the room (thus adding moisture). Another inexpensive alternative is to distribute pans of water throughout the room or on top of radiators.
  
• Break the lip-licking cycle. Lips become dry and chapped during the winter. Although it is almost a natural response to lick your lips when they are dry, it is actually the wrong thing to do. After you have licked your lips, the moisture evaporates quickly leaving them even drier as they continue to loose moisture into the air. Also, digestive enzymes and bacteria in saliva can damage the lips, leaving them in worse shape than before. To prevent and repair chapping, use a lip balm to seal in moisture and form a protective barrier. Re-apply it frequently throughout the day.
  
• Lipstick, lipstick, lipstick. Opaque lipsticks offer great protection against cold, sun and wind and they help to prevent chapping. These brightly colored lipsticks are fun to wear during the dreary months of winter. The key is reapplying lipstick when it wears off. You should know that the chemical that confers the properties of long-lasting or all-day lipstick may paradoxically dry the lip.
  
• Avoid wool clothing next to your skin. Wool often irritates skin, making it itchy in the winter, so avoid letting wool come into close contact with you skin. Instead, wear cotton camisoles, undershirts or long underwear underneath any wool clothing.
  
• Hydrate. Keep the body well hydrated by drinking ample amounts of water each day. Women in particular forget that they can become dehydrated in the winter as well as in the summer.