Natural Winter Skin Care Tips – Farmers’ Almanac

Winter can be tough on your skin. As soon as the heat goes on, skin dries up. Low humidity during the winter, both inside and outside, enhances the drying effect on your skin, as does exposure to the colder elements of the season’s weather.

When your skin becomes cold, blood vessels that supply your skin become constricted. This reduces the amount of blood that goes to the skin. This reduces the skin’s oil-producing glands, sweat glands, and other oil-producing glands in your body. As a result, the water content of your skin cells becomes depleted causing skin to become dry both inside and outside.

While you may not feel as thirsty in the winter as you do in the summer, it is important to stay hydrated. A regular exercise routine will help keep your skin hydrated year-round.

RELATED: How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

Got dry skin? Try these home remedies…

Potatoes. Grate 1 or 2 small potatoes and soak them in olive oil for twenty minutes. Place the potato/oil mixture on your dry hands, and leave it on for at least 10 minutes, then rinse it off to clean them of the potatoes. Try olive oil. Dab a thin layer of olive oil all over your dry hands as a moisturizer. This works well as a moisturizer.

Honey. Honey works really well for chapped, cracked lips. Apply a little honey to your dry lips in the evening and you’ll wake up to smoother, softer lips. Honey also helps soothe cracked heels and rough elbows.

Baking soda. Try adding a little baking soda to your dishwater. It is less harsh on your skin than commercial dish soaps. Adding baking soda to a bath also does wonders.

Water. In addition to drinking it, try putting some water on your wood or regular stove to help raise the humidity in your home. Be sure to keep enough water in the pot.

Douse while you’re still damp. Applying lotion to damp skin is the best bet for retaining moisture. When you get out of the bath or shower, pat, don’t rub, to get rid of just enough water so you don’t leave a wet trail. Then rub on your lotion. This will help seal in the moisture.

Go bananas! Mash a banana with a fork and apply as a thick coat on affected area. Leave as a thick coat for 15–20 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

Think natural. Instead of buying a moisturizer, try using Vitamin E oils, aloe vera, or lavender for your hands and legs. Lavender oil is one of the best moisturizing oils. You can add a few drops to your bath water. You can also dilute this oil in your regular moisturizers and use it.

What’s your favorite remedy for dry skin? Check out our website for more tips and remedies as well as places to leave your thoughts: FarmersAlmanac.com

(From the 2014 Farmers’ Almanac, page 56)