Cold and dry air in winter seriously affects the skin. The drying of skin is limited to face, hands or the exposed parts only but it dries the skin of entire body. Therefore protecting the skin of entire body from drying is essential. There are some tips to prevent the skin from drying.
The shower should not be for more than ten minutes and the water should not be too hot. For people having dry skin applying body oil prior to the bath helps in preventing lose of body moisture during bath. Mild and creamy bath soap is good to prevent drying of skin.
Use of sugar based scrub to exfoliate the skin is good. Scrubbing should be done twice a week.
After taking shower excess moisture should be pat off. Then application of rich body moisturizer is good. The moisturizer should be oil based. Oil based moisturizers are not good in summer and spring as they cause pimples in these seasons but in winter oil based moisturizers are good as they prevent skin from drying and prevent pimples also. Individuals having too dry skin should apply moisturizer three times a day. Application of lotion containing alpha hydroxyl acids throughout the day is good. This helps in exfoliation of the skin and makes the skin free of flakes and chapping. Sunscreens should be worn in winters also. Application of greasy lotions or creams in the night is recommended.
Dressing in layers is helpful in preventing moisture loss.
Along with all other skin care tips a well balanced healthy diet is also essential for healthy skin. Diet should be rich in vitamins and minerals. Food should be rich in green, vegetables, milk, cheese and yogurt. Along with healthy food lots of water intake is also important in maintaining the moisture content of body. Also a sleep for half an hour in a day is good for healthy skin as it recharges the body.
Regular physical exercise is also essential for healthy skin. Exercise increases the blood circulation in the body and thereby enhances supply of nutrients to the skin and removal of toxic products from the skin. Running, aerobics and some easy exercises are also good for skin health.
Using humidifiers in home also replaces humidity in the homes and helps in maintaining humidity of skin also.
Doing yoga is also good for healthy skin. Sudarshan kriya, Surnamaskar and Pranayama are good for healthy skin.
