How to prepare your skin for the onslaught of cold weather

Julia Rodriguez | Staff Reporter

Treating your skin right can be tricky in the Florida heat of the summer. Once the heat and humidity goes away, the winter cold begins to take a toll on your skin.

It is imperative to moisturize your skin during these winter months. The humidity is gone from the air. Though it may not necessarily feel like it, your skin suffers more during the winter. The cold, dry air will extract all of the moisture from your face. Your skin will likely become drier, maybe with patches of flaky skin. The best way to combat this is to put moisture back into your skin after you wash your face and body. This moisture can be in the form of moisturizer, lotion, or even aloe. Aloe provides so much moisture and healing properties for cracked and dry skin, hence the reason people apply it to sunburns. Coconut oil is also a good natural way to add moisture back to your skin. Lotions with these as active ingredients can work wonders on the skin.

The best time frame to apply lotion is within five minutes of taking a shower. When you shower, the pores on your skin open up and take in moisture. They close shortly after you get out. The open pores will absorb the lotion and moisturizer making it beneficial. If you wait until your pores close up, your skin will not absorb the lotion. Your skin feel really sticky and the lotion will just sit on top.

The face soap you are using can be a major reason for dry skin in the winter as well. If you are using a face soap to combat oil and acne there is a high chance that it is causing your skin to dry out. Oils on the skin will clog a pore and form a pimple. So, without the presence of oil there would be an absence of acne as well. This is not necessarily true. If your skin is prone to breakouts, even if your skin is dry, you will still get pimples, just on a much smaller scale. These acne prevention soaps dry out the skin and make the effects of the winter weather much harsher on your already sensitive skin. It is wise to switch soaps to a simple face cleanser in the wintertime or add a strong hydrating moisturizer.

Another cause of dry skin can be allergy medicine. Pills like Claritin D and Zyrtec focus on drying out the sinuses to help you breathe and decongest. This, in turn, will dry out your skin. Make sure to drink lots of water to combat this. The water will also help with drainage of your sinuses. There are many other factors that lead to dry skin but these are some of the most common to watch out for in the winter.