Simple winter tips for Men Skin Care
When winter has set upon you (and depending upon where you live), Mother Nature may throw you some harsh weather changes. This is the time of year when life becomes a little less comfortable and winter related health issues appear. One of the most common winter ailments that many men suffer from is dry winter skin.
Winter weather is harsher on your skin than summer weather for several reasons:
The air is dryer in the winter than in the summer. This causes your natural body oils to evaporate faster leaving you more vulnerable to the drying effects.
|
|
You are most likely sweating less in the winter than you do in the summer as most people are less active in the winter so they naturally sweat less.
The cold winter air tends to constrict the skin making it tighter and somewhat less porous. This can hamper your skins natural oil production to some degree. You know you've got it when your skin begins to feel tighter and you get that annoying prickly itch. When severe, your skin can crack and the condition becomes downright painful. This can be aggravated even more if your work or play puts you outdoors in the cold for long periods.
Here are some good ideas to help bring you some relief in winter:
1. Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. Worth repeating because it is the best thing you can do for your dry skin. At a minimum, you should moisturize with a body lotion once per day in the winter. You can do it more often if needed. The best time to moisturize is right after you have toweled off from your shower when your skin is still moist but not dripping wet. The lotion will "lock in" the moisture from your shower.
Make sure your body lotion is unscented. You don't want to smell like a bouquet of roses for your buddies at the office or the shop. |
|
You can moisturize your face in the same manner, however, you should use a lotion that is specifically formulated for the face. Body lotions tend to be greasier so are more prone to clogging facial pores. Use these from the neck down. Most aftershave lotions contain moisturizing ingredients so these work well. Just make sure you use it sparingly and avoid the aftershaves that have SD alcohol as an ingredient. These will dry your face out and make things worse.
2. Cover it up. When outside, cover your exposed skin from the harsh cold wind. Even if you wear gloves, it is good to moisturize your hands before putting them on (the gloves, not your hands). If you find your hands are extremely dray and cracked, you can take a tip from the ladies. Before you go to bed, apply a liberal amount of Vasaline or lanolin to your hands and put on a pair of thin cotton gloves. You can find gloves made for this purpose at a drug store or many major supermarket and department store chains.
|
|
The gloves prevent the vasaline from spreading all over the place and allows it to work into your skin all night long while you sleep. Women have been doing this for ages. As a tough guy, you may feel silly doing this for a couple of nights in a row, but it works great and nobody has to know but you.
3. Don't slow down. Most people tend to cut back on their physical fitness in the cold winter months. Don't do this. As mentioned above, exercise brings on perspiration, which is good for your skin and scalp.
4. Protect from the sun. Just because it’s cold outside does not mean you can't get sunburn. Apply a moisturizing sunscreen if you plan on being out in the sun for long periods of time. Your cheeks and nose are most vulnerable. SPF 15 or greater is best.
|
|
5. Lips need help, too. Chapped or cracked lips are also common in the winter. The skin tissue of your lips is very delicate and produces little natural moisturizing oils. Frequent lip licking brings temporary relief but actually dries out your lips even quicker. Over the counter lip balms are a must to sort this issue. If you suffer from severe chapped lips, you should use a lip balm during the day, but at night you should apply a liberal amount of Vaseline. It may take a few nights of greasy lips, but the healing results are worth it...and your sweetheart will be more appreciative, too.
|
|
6. Wear the shades. Sunny days in the winter can be hard on your eyes with the sunlight reflecting back up. Wearing sunglasses will not only protect your eyes but will also keep you from squinting as much. Frequent squinting will help promote those wrinkles at the corners of your eyes. You don't want these because they will make your face look older.
7. Drink water. Don't cut back on the H2O in cold weather. Staying properly hydrated helps to moisturize your skin from the inside out. Good water consumption promotes better circulation which in turn aids in bringing needed nutrients to your skin.
Taking good care of your skin will make your look and feel younger. Follow these tips and you will see the time they take will be small compared to the huge benefit you'll receive in dry winter skin relief.
|
|
|
|
Print
