Fighting Dry Skin

Summer is finally gone, fall is here with winter soon to follow, and you know what THAT means?  Here comes dry skin!

The colder the weather is, the warmer we like our environment to be, but that’s part of the problem.  Summer brings heat, but most importantly humidity – and our skin benefits from the moisture in the air that time of the year.  If our skin starts to become dry, it will steal the moisture in the air and use that as nature’s moisturizer.

Once the humidity leaves then trouble looms.  When cold sets in, the humidity also leaves making it a drier environment.  Add to that, putting the heat on in our homes and combining that with overly warm (I really mean HOT) showers…sets up the perfect storm for dry skin.

So don’t set yourself up for failure this year!  If you do FIVE simple things now your skin will thank you later.

1. Warm – not HOT – showers/baths are best.  HOT water dries skin out rapidly.

2. NO scrubbing/rubbing implement as you clean your skin.  No loofah, bath net, or even washcloth – those pull off your dead skin cell later and strip your skin of your natural moisturizer – your oil – and you need BOTH of those things to keep your skin more moist and LESS DRY.

3. Use a soap that contains moisturizer – we recommend Dove or other gentle moisturizing brands. Do put soap on your HANDS – I know this goes against all that you may have been told, but soap on hands will get you just as clean as soap on a washcloth, loofah, or a bath-net.

Save the washcloth for the high sweat areas like the underarms and the private areas.

4. MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE!!

Apply ample amounts of a gentle moisturizer FREQUENTLY for best results. Creams can offer better and longer lasting moisture than lotions but pick one that you like and stick with it!

5. If your skin gets so dry that it appears rash like, then you will likely need our help.

We are here for you at Dermatology and Skin Cancer Institute in our Lansdale, Pennsylvania and our Fort Washington, Pennsylvania offices.