Winter has its own charm, but the other side of it is that in this season, the cold outside and strong winds suck out the moisture from your skin, making it dry. It starts itching and burning, while the heat inside the house destroys the moisture from your skin and air. Due to all these reasons, the skin can become extremely dry and even dermatitis (eczema) and psoriasis can arise.
There are many ways to eliminate the causes of dry skin in winter and prevent skin from getting dry throughout the season, some of which you can include in your regular daily habits. In this context, Dr. Tripti D. Agarwal, Trichologist and Aesthetic Dermatologist at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, gave many useful information.
1) Eat a nutritious diet
To keep the skin healthy during winter, consume foods rich in nutrients, vitamins, beneficial fats and oils etc.
- Eat porridge.
- Eat foods that are grown in the ground and are rich in Vitamin C.
- Eat other foods like spinach, which are rich in zinc.
- Eat more iron-rich nutritious food or take some supplements.
- Eat almonds, fish, eggs, avocado, zucchini, salad, watermelon and cheddar cheese.
- Go for sweet root vegetables and sweet, nutritious soups.
- Eat juicy fruits like strawberries, grapes, blueberries, raspberries or cherries, which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.
2. Moisturise your skin
Moisturizing is very important for skin care in winter. In this season, cream or paste is preferred over any lotion. Moisturizing keeps your skin moist and there is no lack of natural oil in the skin. Do not use alcohol, astringent lotion, different types of masks and peels, because their use during winter makes your skin dry. Generally, coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil, buttermilk, cucumber etc. are the most easily available natural moisturizers.
3) Do not take a long bath
Take a warm bath. Take a bath within 5-10 minutes in winter; this will reduce skin damage. Bathing in hot water dries out the skin immediately and if a moisturizer is not applied within a few minutes, it can cause cracks in your skin and winter dermatitis. You can use any moisturizer containing white soft paraffin, ceramides and hyaluronic acid to prevent aging and maintain the skin barrier.
4) Drink plenty of water
To make the skin soft and beautiful, it is very important to keep your body hydrated from inside and outside. When there is a lack of water in your body, the body fulfills its requirement by pulling water from anywhere, even from the skin. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water every day to keep your body hydrated.
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5) Use a humidifier to increase humidity
When the heater runs regularly, the indoor environment becomes quite dry during the winter season. Use a humidifier in your home or office, which will add moisture to the dry winter air and keep your skin hydrated.
6) Exfoliation of the skin
Skin exfoliation not only removes dead skin cells, but it also rejuvenates the skin. Exfoliation helps moisturizers penetrate deeper into the skin, as it removes dead skin cells that obstruct the penetration of moisturizers to the level of living skin cells. People with sensitive skin should exfoliate only once a week and do it gently. Those with combination or oily skin should exfoliate once or twice a week.
7) Take care of dry and chapped lips
In harsh winters, lips are more likely to dry out. Our lips do not have oil glands, so they are affected by many factors. Sun, wind, cold and dry air can cause dry lips. Some people have dry lips all the time, but the condition worsens in winter. In such a situation, apply petroleum gel, mineral oil or lip balm containing dimethicone 6 to 8 times a day.
Also keep these things in mind, like – exercise regularly, use day and night moisturizer cream regularly, do not wear wet clothes, use sunglasses, etc.
All of these are quite easy and you can include them in your daily routine. If you still experience dryness, itching and irritation in the skin despite all these, then you should consult a qualified dermatologist.
– Usha Gupta
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