Winter can feel long enough without the added frustration of dry skin. If you’re one of the 80+ million Americans who suffer from winter-induced dry skin, take heart! There are natural ways to soothe that cracking skin while we wait impatiently for spring to arrive.
Your body produces oils to keep your largest organ moisturized, but our daily lives (as well as aging) tend to strip away those natural oils. A run to the drug store is not the answer as most moisturizers found there are loaded with preservatives that are doing much more harm than good. Besides, the natural route is as simple as making a couple of adjustments in routine and maybe grabbing a few things from the kitchen!
Natural Ways to Soothe Dry Skin
Work with your skin by implementing these simple, natural remedies for winter-induced dryness:
- Take less showers. Or at least cooler showers. While a steaming hot shower may sound wonderful on a freezing February morning, your skin is begging you to stop! If the idea of skipping the occasional shower sounds horrifying to you, turn down the temperature and shorten your time. Pat-drying rather than rubbing yourself dry will also protect your skin’s natural oils.
- Moisturize post shower. After a gentle pat-dry, moisturize right away to lock in the moisture while it’s in abundance.
- Remove the dead skin cells. Sugar and salt scrubs are super easy to DIY and work wonders to remove the old, flaky stuff. The fresh skin underneath is better at retaining moisture.
- Take an oatmeal bath. Toss a cup of oats into a food processor and blend into a powder. Pour the powder in your tepid bath water and soak. To enhance the benefit, soak at night until your fingers and toes begin to wrinkle, then lather in oil (coconut, olive, avocado, jojoba) and wear pajamas to hold in the moisture. Wake up to smooth, happy skin.
- Lather on the essential oils. No, I don’t mean grab a bottle of EO and dump it all over your skin! Dilute the goodness with a carrier oil (coconut or jojoba are a couple favorites with many benefits of their own) and then lather away. You could also throw together a nice body butter like THIS one. Frankincense, lavender, and Roman chamomile are just a few of the excellent options to include in your moisturizer of choice. Dr. Hendrick’s is a huge fan of Doterra Essential Oils, and for good reason. Contact us for more information.
Dry, itchy, and cracked skin doesn’t have to be the winter norm. These simple, natural measures that work with your skin’s natural oils will go a long way in soothing the irritation and easing the discomfort that so often plagues these endless winter months.