Winter might not officially start until late December, but we have already seen a couple colder days and nights.
Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and chair of dermatology at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, says the colder weather can negatively affect your skin.
“Tis the season to be flaky with the lower humidity, the blasting heat and dry, cold air — very easy for the skin to dry out,” Friedman said.
When skin dries out, it becomes itchy. And when you scratch, you increase the risk of infection. Friedman said there are ways to combat dry skin, and it begins with addressing how you clean yourself.
Friedman said washing your hands is important, but washing frequently does the opposite of moisturize.
“Water is the most drying substance on the planet. It will actually wash away the things that pull water in and can even dry the skin out further,” he said.
His advice is to not go overboard with soap, and in the winter, opt for gentle soaps and moisturizers. One good option, he said, is products used to treat eczema.
“Even if you don’t have eczema, a product that says ‘for eczema’ might help with severely dry, winterized skin,” Friedman said.
He said those products usually contain colloidal oatmeal, which helps fight inflammation.
“They may also have what are called ‘pre- or postbiotics,’ which help fuel the living barrier, the plethora of bacteria that live on our skin,” he said.
When applying moisturizer, he said it’s best to apply it to damp skin and not overly wet skin. Also, if you do wash your hands a lot, he recommends what he calls his daily “hand rash boot camp.”
“Soaking your hands in lukewarm water for a couple of minutes, taking them out, pat dry, apply a thick moisturizer to that damp skin, and then glove or sock up for 30 minutes or so, can really help refortify that skin and get the moisture in,” Friedman said.
If your dry skin has already gotten out of control, leading to skin breaks called fissures, Friedman said it’s best to opt for a liquid Band-Aid, instead of a traditional one.
Finally, don’t forget about protecting your skin from the sun. Even in the winter, Friedman said it’s important to apply sunscreen.
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