Winter months bring cold, dry and windy air accompanied by low humid¬ity from indoor heating. This harsh cli¬mate can quickly lead to painfully dry and chapped lips.
Using a protective lip balm or mois¬ture-rich lipstick or gloss several times a day can keep your lips soft and kiss¬able. If your lips have already taken a turn on the chapped side, you need a heavy emollient to heal and repair.
Look for ointment-based products with ingredients like vitamin E, shea butter and lanolin. A great at-home remedy is mixing honey and Vaseline. Apply the honey first (healing and anti-bacterial), let it dry and apply Vaseline (one of the best skin protectants). Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove with warm water. To take prevention one step further, try using a humidi¬fier in your home.
A DEEP SOAK
Skin on our body has less oil glands than on our face, causing it to dry out more quickly. Warm baths are a great way to soothe and hydrate your body and can prevent and treat cracked, flaky or scaly skin.
As tempting as a hot steamy bath may be on a sub-zero day it’s important to keep your bath water just warm. This will ensure you don’t dehydrate your skin with extra heat. Also, limit your soaking time to no more than 20 min¬utes; then gently pat (don’t rub) your¬self dry. Immediately slather your skin with moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp.
A FEW EXTRAS:
A nourishing milk bath will soften, gen¬tly exfoliate and relieve irritation. Just add two cups of skim milk to your bath. An oatmeal, baking soda or corn¬starch bath is essential to relieve itchy skin. (Add one cup of either to your bath.) Oil baths add moisture and help retain the natural oils in your skin, making them great for eczema and dermatitis conditions. For extra ben¬efits apply the oil directly to your skin before you get into the bath.
