Winter Skincare Secrets
As yet another polar vortex reaches Chicago, you may wonder if the universe hates the midwest and has cursed us with dry brutal winters. As a person from a warm, humid place, I was ill-equipped for what would happen to my skin when I moved to Chicago. Each winter, despite my best attempts at using lotions, my skin would crack and even sometimes bleed. Cold weather and indoor heating combine to strip skin of moisture. Through three years of trial and error (lots of trial and error), I’ve come up with a basic understanding of how to keep skin safe during yet another brutal Chicago winter.
Prevention is key:
Buy yourself a humidifier: Humidifiers help counteract the drying effects of indoor heating during winter. My humidifier has saved my life on so many occasions. I have it going 24/7 in my room to ensure that its air will not strip my skin of moisture.
Drink water like your life depends on it (it really does): now is the time to increase your water intake. Most Americans don’t drink enough water, and as students, sometimes we get caught up in school work and tend to neglect our basic needs like drinking enough water. This is your sign: drink water like your life depends on it because it really does. *https://nypost.com/2020/09/03/most-adults-dont-drink-enough-water-every-day-do-you/)
Be more mindful of your shower habits: The unfortunate fact is that hot showers irritate and dry out your skin. But if you’re like me and a shower is only a real shower if you run the risk of getting second-degree burns, then you are really going to have to be sure to moisturize right out of it in order to trap in heat. Additionally, consider incorporating a gentle moisturizing body wash if you haven't already. Somehow it took me four years to figure out that my favorite scented Bath and Bodyworks body washes were wreaking havoc on my skin.
Treating Dry Skin:
Aquaphor is worth its weight in gold: Aquaphor heals cracks in your skin by preventing them from drying out, and it by far has saved my hands this winter. My knuckles every year cracked and sometimes even ended up bleeding from the harsh winter winds. Lotions and creams could only get me so far. Ultimately, the only thing that previously saved my skin was returning to warm humid weather.
Moisturize every time you wash or sanitize your hands: This sounds so basic, but it's the only thing keeping my hands safe during the pandemic when I’m constantly washing and sanitizing. Because I always forget to use moisturizer, I leave a heavy hand cream next to the soap in my bathroom to serve as a visual cue to moisturize right after washing.
