5 Common Sense Tips that Can Heal Your Itchy, Dry Winter Skin

Sometimes the months slip past me. Yesterday it was summer, today it's fall. Since I have a problem with dry skin, the change in the seasons requires that I change the bath soap, et cetera, I use. Well, November came and I hadn't switched over to the skin products I use during the cold weather months. Soon after, I visited a new doctor about a skin rash. She was really concerned about my dry skin. My hands, in particular, felt like shoe leather to the touch. The doctor gave me some common sense tips that will heal your itchy, dry winter skin. I did some additional research and have expanded on her advice.

1. Take Warm or Cool Baths or Showers
Soaking in a hot tub or standing under a hot shower may feel good at the time, but the heat removes the moisture from your skin. The cooler the better when it comes to water temperature. A ten to fifteen-minute shower or bath is best.

In fact, if you really want to take showers that are beneficial to your entire body, read "Learn About the Benefits of Taking Cold Showers".

2. Use Gentle Soaps to Bathe With
I still use Dial soap on "germy" parts like my feet, but I switched over to Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Bar for the rest of my body. According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, soap should only be used when and where it's needed, such as under your arms, on the groin and genitals, on the feet, and on the face. This resource recommends using mild soaps such as Dove, Neutrogena Dry Skin Formula (unscented), Aveeno Cleansing Bar for Dry Skin and Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Soap.

3. Seal the Moisture in Your Skin
After you bathe, pat- don't rub- your skin with an absorbent towel until it's just dry. Rubbing will further irritate your dry skin. It will also rob needed moisture from your- already dry- skin.

Another common sense tip that can heal your itchy dry winter skin, is to use a moisturizer immediately after you've dried off. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics recommends doing this within 3 minutes after you bathe. This will help seal in the moisture from your bath or shower.

4. Avoid Using Skin Care Products That Contain Alcohol
My doctor warned me about using skin care products that contain alcohol. Alcohol further dries your skin. Ironically, when I checked my stash of moisturizers, I found alcohol in the ingredients of every product except one. When I wrote a product review for Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream, I didn't realize it's one of the -probably few- skin moisturizers that is alcohol-free.

A Word About Hand Sanitizers, Alcohol and Dry Skin
If you're using hand sanitizers in an effort to avoid contracting the H1N1 Flu and other illnesses, read David A. Reinstein's article, "Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer Kills Germs and Skin at the Same Time".

5. Monitor the Humidity in Your Home
If you don't have at least one hygrometer in your home, it's a good idea to invest in one. A hygrometer measures the amount of humidity in the air. It will tell you if the air is too dry. Dry air is another common factor that takes the moisture out of your skin. Read "Common Signs the Air in Your Home is Too Dry and How to Easily Fix It" to find out more information.

Resources
My doctor
http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/skinhealth/winterskin.html