Daily health tip #23
Scratch the surface of dry, winter skin.
As soon as the furnace comes on, my skin starts to shrivel up. You too? If you suffer from the itch and sting of dry winter skin or eczema, applying topical creams isn’t your only protection. You have to solve the problem from the inside out.
Water shortage
Often triggered by an allergy, eczema (atopic dermatitis) involves excess moisture loss, leading to dehydrated skin that is easily damaged, and hard edges around lesions that can get caught and tear into healthy skin. Keep skin hydrated with a few lifestyle strategies combined with soothing topicals. Short, warm showers are better than hot baths that can damage lipids in your skin. Use coconut oil in place of soap on face and body skin. If you prefer a bath, soak in warm water for no more than 15 minutes to prevent moisture from leaving your skin. For a soothing soak, toss one cup of Epsom salts and ¼ cup of olive oil in the tub with you.
After your quick rinse, apply avocado oil to still-moist skin to seal in moisture. Closely resembling your skin’s natural oils, avocado is gentle on sensitive skin. Zinc creams, similar to baby’s diaper creams, also provide a great moisture trap. Also similar to our skin oils, jojoba oil is a perfect facial moisturizer. Apply creams several times daily.
For treating dry skin from the inside out, go here.
Until next time,
Let’s all walk the talk!
Lisa
