Moisturize And Avoid Hot Showers; Experts Share Skin Care Tips For The Winter Months
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- In addition to making people feel miserable, the frigid winter weather can also wreak havoc on our skin.
From dry, red, and flaky to painfully chapped -- skin can get pretty abused in the winter.
As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, when it comes to preventing and healing winter skin woes, moisture is your skin's best friend.
That's why winter is so tough on skin. The air is dry, then the heated indoor air makes things even drier, and hot showers to warm up are even worse.
"I feel pretty, pretty ashy, and it's crackly," one New Yorker told CBS2's Dr. Gomez.
It might be instinct to take a long hot shower to warm up after being out in the cold, but Dr. Debra Jaliman said you should do the opposite.
"Take the shortest shower with lukewarm water you can stand. A hot shower takes all the essential oil out of the skin, take cooler and shorter showers," she said.
She also suggested patting skin dry instead of rubbing it.
"Rubbing also take souls out, and irritates skin," she said.
Just after getting out of the shower, is also the best time to use moisturizer.
"Because you have moisture in your skin, the whole concept is to lock in moisture. If you forget, the best time is when you'll actually use it," she said.
Dermatologists said it's not necessary to spend a lot of money on fancy moisturizers; drug store brands are just fine as long as they contain one or more of glycerin, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides.
"I use extra moisturizer, and I use it twice, and sometimes even more," Augusta Gross said.
Another important skin aid is a humidifier, you can use one in your bedroom overnight to keep moisture in your skin.
And back in the shower, your soap make a difference too.
"Soaps, no fragrance or deodorant soaps," Dr. Jaliman said.
Dr. Jaliman also said there's a new technology that actually lets your moisturize in the shower and it's not expensive.
The bottom line -- don't agonize about which moisturizer is best, whichever one you like is the one you'll use early and often. That's the key.
