New Jersey winters are never particularly easy – bundling up every morning, scraping ice off your windshield, shoveling the sidewalk, and the dreaded dry winter skin are just part of the territory! The colder temperatures, dip in humidity, and cranking of indoor heaters every winter can easily deplete your skin’s layer of moisture-trapping oil. This often leads to dry, itchy, flaky winter skin.

Tips To Combat Dry Winter Skin:

1. Use creams, mineral oils, or petroleum jelly to shield your skin. Look for products with lactic acid, ceramides, and humectants that pull water from your dermis to your epidermis.
2. Gently exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating can help keep your skin bright and healthy. During winter, dead skin accumulates faster due to lack of skin moisture. Try a gentle exfoliating scrub a couple times a week.
3. Limit your shower times. Long, hot showers or baths will dehydrate your skin and remove natural oils.
4. Dress for the winter. Use gloves, hats, scarves, and other coverings to protect your skin. Wool can easily irritate your skin and make you even itchier.
5. Use sunscreen. Even in the winter, you should apply sunscreen daily. Use one that has an SPF of 30 or higher. Lip balm with SPF can hydrate and protect your lips as well.
6. Drink plenty of fluids and eat hydrating foods. Stay hydrated by drinking water and eating healthy fruits and veggies with high levels of water and rich antioxidants. This includes berries, citrus, cucumbers, apples, leafy greens, broccoli, pears, and more. Omega-3-rich foods like walnuts, flax seeds, or safflower oils can also boost natural skin oil production.
7. Use a humidifier. Run a humidifier indoors, especially if you are running your indoor heater all day! Make sure you clean it out regularly too.

If you’re dealing with dry winter skin, give us a call! Here at Old Bridge Dermatology, our board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Juan Vaillant, has decades of specialization in clinical and anatomic pathology that will help you achieve happy and healthy skin. Dr. Vaillant commonly treats conditions such as age spots, acne, dandruff, hair loss, psoriasis, and nail fungus. Contact our Old Bridge, NJ office at (732) 679-0222 for an appointment today!