doctor-maya

GUARDING AGAINST DRY SKIN

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Beautiful Skin. Don’t we all crave it?
Having healthy glowing skin with a satin soft texture and a porcelain-like finish is what we want to see when we look into the mirror. Cold, dry winter air sucks the life out of silky, smooth skin. When skin becomes dehydrated, it loses its flexibility and becomes dry, scaly and sometimes itchy.Following the same skin care routine year round may not work so well when the humidity drops. Without a change in your skin care, dry air can make fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable. With age, oil glands become less active. Your skin is less able to replenish the oil and fluid removed by soap and water.

To guard against the drying effects of bathing, try these tips:
•Limit frequency
Bathe once a day or every other day.
•Limit time and temperature
Use warm (not hot) water to bathe. Brush your skin rapidly with soap using the palms of your hands.
Have a quick bath for a maximum of 3 minutes.
•Select soaps carefully
Harsh soaps can quickly strip away your skin’s protective oils. Choose superfatted, nonfoaming soaps that clean without removing natural oil. Soap substitutes in syndet bar, gel and liquid forms are less drying than deodorant and antibacterial soaps.
•Limit use of soap and water
Limit use of soap to your face, underarms, genital area, hands and feet. Using clear water on the other areas of body cleans adequately most of the time.
•Pat dry, don’t rub
When toweling dry, pat your skin gently.
•Seal in moisture
While still damp, lubricate your skin with oil or cream (within 3 minutes after bath) especially on your legs, arms, back and sides. A heavy moisturizer (water-in-oil formula) is longer lasting than a light cream that contains more water than oil (oil-in-water formula).
Tip: Carry a non-greasy hand cream with you, and apply it after each hand washing. This will greatly help relieve dry skin.
•Wear lip balm.
Choose a lip balm that feels good on your lips. Some healing lip balms can irritate your lips. If your lips sting or tingle after you apply the lip balm, switch to one that does not cause this reaction.