These harsh, cold winter months can be taxing on our bodies in a number of ways. Bye-bye tan skin and hello cracked heels, am I right?
Self-Care Tips in the Winter Time
It’s easy to forget to take care of yourself and your body when you’re caught up in the end-of-year bustle; follow these 3 tips for self-care in the wintertime.
Moisturize
Winter does a number on our skin due to the cold, dry air, and drying heat from showers and indoor heating. These things can leave our skin cracked, irritated, red, and itchy. Hands, elbows, lips, and feet tend to suffer a great deal this time of year.
One way to solve this is by staying moisturized. It’s important to find the right moisturizer with hydrating capabilities, otherwise, you’re just smearing a temporarily smooth and scented substance on yourself. Try to avoid lotions with silicones and synthetics, as they can trap oil and clog pores. Moisturizers with fragrance or perfume/parfum products tend to cause more irritation to the skin. The same goes for chapstick as well.
It is also possible to over-moisturize. If your skin gets accustomed to always having a surplus of moisture, then over time it will stop producing its own natural oils. Take special care when moisturizing your feet in order to prevent athlete’s foot. If you happen to over-lotion or leave lotion between your toes, then your feet will be more susceptible to fungal infection.
Wear Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen in the dead of winter may seem like the most pointless thing to do when you can’t even see the sun outside. However, these dreary, overcast days can be deceivingly harmful to your skin. The sun’s UV rays can still penetrate through the clouds, and can sometimes cause the worst sunburns when reflected off the bright white snow.
Even if you don’t plan on spending an extended amount of time outdoors, the reflected sun can have a harsh impact even in short periods of time—like walking to your car. So break out the SPF and lather up!
Baby Your Hair
Give your hair a break before it breaks itself. Dry, itchy scalps and brittle hair are more prevalent during the dry winter months. Opt for darker hair colors during this time of year to avoid the harsh bleaching chemicals on your hair.
Adding heat to the mix along with the dry air will result in even more hair breakage. Try letting your hair air-dry as much as possible before blow-drying it, and use heat protectants before using styling tools such as straighteners and curling irons.
If you’re suffering from a dry, flaky scalp, then you may be tempted to lather up more on the shampoo. This can actually make the problem worse. Instead, try looking for a special dandruff shampoo. These are great for fine hair because it doesn’t weigh it down quite as much as other hair products.
Rather than just enduring the cracked knuckles, chapped lips, and flakey scalps, decide to take a stand against the dry weather! Take care of yourself and your body by staying properly moisturized, wearing sunscreen, and giving your hair a break.
