It’s nice to have great-looking skin all year long, but you’ve probably found it’s a lot easier to accomplish this during warmer, milder weather. Once it starts to turn cool, all kinds of things can happen to the skin, the root cause usually being dryness. As we move into cooler weather, here are some good fall skin care tips for lovely skin in time for the holidays.
- Eat and drink well. Our bodies need a lot of water, which we get from water itself as well as water-based foods like fruits and vegetables. Increase these in your diet, and go easy on caffeine and alcohol, both of which mess with the body’s water balance. Staying well-hydrated is one of the best fall skin care tips we can think of.
- Don’t crank up the heat inside. Keep your home temperate but not overly warm. Artificial heat (from heating appliances) will dry out your skin, especially if there’s a blowing element involved.
- Avoid hot water for bathing. Ideally your shower and bath water should be warm but never hot. Hot water sucks the moisture out of your skin, even if you don’t notice it during bathing.
- Use gentle soap. Soaps with antibacterial agents, fragrances, dyes and deodorant tend to be hard on your skin. Soaps like Dove are easy on skin and don’t disrupt the skin’s moisture barrier.
- Use a good moisturizer over your entire body. After bathing, blot water off your skin, then while the skin is slightly damp, apply a cream-based (rather than lotion-based) moisturizer. Read labels and find a brand that removes dry and dead skin while adding moisture to your pores. Pay special attention to areas that are already suffering from dryness.
- Care for your hands. Our hands tend to dry out more quickly than other body areas, and hand-washing is usually the reason. Get in the habit of applying a good moisturizer after every washing. If you use hand sanitizer regularly, buy the kind that includes a moisturizer.
- Treating dry feet. If dry feet are a problem, look for a cream-based skin softener designed especially for the feet. With regular applications, your feet will soften right up.
- Fragrance- and dye-free is best. As we mentioned with soap, it’s best that none of the compounds you use on your skin contain fragrances, dyes and other ingredients that are harsh on the skin. Read labels and find products that contribute to soft, moisturized skin.
- Avoid scratchy, itchy clothing. Rough clothing can cause skin irritations, so opt for softer materials like cotton and polyester blends.
Follow these fall skin care tips, and your skin will enjoy an amazing improvement by the time the holidays roll around.
NOTE: In most cases, dry skin is just a symptom of the weather or how you treat your skin. However, dry skin also is a symptom of a number of health conditions. If you seem to always have severely dry skin, it’s a good idea to visit your dermatologist for a complete checkup.
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DermSurgery Associates is a Greater Houston area dermatology practice offering cosmetic, surgical and non-invasive dermatology treatments and procedures with industry-leading physicians trained and experienced with the most current dermatology technologies and procedures. For more information, contact
DermSurgery Associates
7515 Main, Suite 240
Houston, TX 77030
- 713.791.9966
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