Topic of the Month - Winterize Your Skin

Fall and winter bring many changes, and just as we adjust by changing our wardrobes, it is important that we also modify our skin care regimen. Cold dry winter air out doors and heated air indoors do not hold as much moisture, so our skin will tend to become dry, itchy, cracked and red. The following tips will help you avoid these problems:

Moisturize, moisturize. More frequent applications of a moisturizer is a must. Creams should be applied at least twice a day, and you may find that you need something even more oily, such as Vaseline in the jar, to prevent your skin from cracking. Look for moisturizers with petrolatum, mineral oil, linoleic acid, ceramides, dimethicone or glycerin. The best time to apply a moisturizer is after a shower. After showering, pat the skin lightly, and immediately apply a moisturizer. This will trap water in the upper layers of the skin and decrease dryness.

Use mild soaps. Avoid scrubbing the skin and use only mild soaps or soap substitutes. Also avoid hot showers as hot water more easily breaks up our body oils, causing them to be easily washed away. This will results in more dryness.

Watch your thermostat. Dry heated indoor air and low humidity can really dry out your skin. Try to keep your thermostat around 68. If you have continued problems with dry skin consider buying a humidifier for your home.

Protect exposed skin. Gloves, scarves, and sunscreen are essential to your efforts to protect exposed skin. A sunscreen of SPF 15 should be worn daily. If you are fair skinned and are planning a full day of skiing please wear a sunscreen of at least 30.

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

This site may contain links to other web sites outside of www.permanente.net. Kaiser Permanente has no control over the content or the availability of these sites, and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. Web links are provided as an educational tool, and should not be relied upon for personal diagnosis or treatment. A link or reference to a web site should not be construed as an endorsement of the site or its contents. Any medical content that you feel may be important to your health should always be discussed with your Kaiser Permanente physician.