By ADRIA HAIRSTON
BLUEFIELD — During winter months, frigid air and dry indoor heat are a combination destined to draw the moisture from your skin.
But with the proper winterization, there is a way to relieve your parched skin from its hibernation.
According to Dr. David Tolliver, a dermatologist in Bluefield, Va., people are faced with dry skin in the winter because of the drop in temperatures combined with the drop in relative humidity, plus excessive indoor heating.
“The relative humidity drops below 60 percent during the winter and typically we overheat our homes, which causes our skin to become extremely dry,” Tolliver said.
For people who use high heat in their homes, Tolliver suggested purchasing a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
Making matters worse, Tolliver said there is a lot of confusion about how to care for dry skin. For example, using soaps or drying cleansers, taking long baths or hot showers, or over-scrubbing skin with loofahs or overly abrasive scrubs is just asking for more skin woes.
“In the winter, extremely hot, lengthy showers are a no-no. I suggest people take five- to 10-minute lukewarm showers during the winter,” Tolliver said.
He suggested using mild, non-soap facial cleansers, followed by moisturizers that contain sunscreen.
“When you add a moisturizer, do so directly out of the shower because it helps to seal in the moisture,” he said.
Tolliver recommended Cetaphil and Oil of Olay products, which he said are milder than most products.
“I personally am not a big fan of Noxzema products, because patients I have that use it tend to have clogged pores,” he said.
He said a moisturizer should have at least one of the following: petroleum, mineral oil, linoleic acid, ceramides, dimethicome or glycerin.
And while moisture is a big factor for winter skin maintenance, so is sunscreen.
“When it snows, the sun reflects about 80 percent of damaging UV light, so we do need sunscreen,” Tolliver said.
Clinique Consultant Elaine Irby, at Belk at Mercer Mall, said she recommends Super Defense Triple Action, which has an SPF of 25, for customers ages 18 to 25.
“This moisturizer also has antioxidants and runs about $39.50. It’s a really popular-selling product and we want to stress to our customers the importance of sunscreen even in the winter,” Irby said.
For more mature customers, Irby said Repair Wear Cream, which has an SPF of 15, is more appropriate.
“This product is $47.50. These moisturizers are booster products and should be used in addition to normal skin care products,” Irby said.
Other over-the-counter, reasonably priced facial moisturizing products include Dove Sensitive Essentials and Neutrogena Healthy Skin moisturizer.
For oily skin that’s prone to acne, Clean & Clear Oil-Free Dual Action Moisturizer contains an oil-free moisturizing formula along with salicylic acid to fight acne.
— Contact Adria Hairston at ahairston@bdtonline.com
