How to Deal with Itchy Winter Skin
You can keep scratching your way through winter, or you can stop flaky skin in its tracks. Here's how.
Up next in Skin Care 101 (64 videos)
Everything you ever wanted to know about how to achieve a flawless face is in this video series.
You Will Need
- Warm baths
- Bath oil
- Mild soap
- Moisturizer
- A lowered thermostat
- A humidifier or bowls of water
- An oatmeal bath treatment (optional)
Steps
-
Step 1
Switch to baths
Switch to baths; showers strip more of your skin's natural oils. Don't make them too hot or too long; both can dry out skin.
-
Step 2
Use bath oil and mild soap
Pour bath oil into your tub, and wash with a mild, non-deodorant, fragrance-free soap.
-
You can also use a bath treatment that contains oatmeal.
-
Step 3
Moisturize
Moisturize as soon as you step out of the bath, after gently patting your body with a towel. Reapply during the day – especially before going into the blustery outdoors – and before you go to bed at night.
-
Choose moisturizer that contains glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or feverfew.
-
Step 4
Wear soft clothes
Avoid clothing and bedding made from wool, synthetic materials, and wool blends. Layer clothes to avoid overheating and sweating, which make dry skin worse.
-
Step 5
Turn down the thermostat
Reduce the drying effects of central heating by lowering the thermostat to between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Put on a sweater if that's too chilly for you.
-
Step 6
Humidify
Add moisture to indoor air with a humidifier. Or make a homemade one by putting a heatproof bowl filled with on top of a radiator or near a heating vent.
-
Step 7
See a doctor
See a doctor if you itch all over your body, it's so bad that you can't sleep, or your skin is broken from scratching so much; these are all signs that you may have a more serious medical condition.
-
Skin is 30 percent less supple in winter thanks to cold air and the drying effects of indoor heating.
