Don't Forget to Take Care of Your Skin This Winter

Everyone hears about how important it is to protect their skin during the summer months, but the cold

weather of winter brings its own skin-related concerns. Dry, cold weather can cause dry, itchy skin, susceptible to chapping and cracking, and keeping that skin moisturized is important to overall skin health.

The American Academy of Dermatologists suggests keeping skin moisturized with fragrance- and alcohol-free moisturizers; using lip balms containing petrolatum (also known as petroleum jelly and mineral oil) to keep lips from chapping; taking cooler, shorter showers and using gentle cleansers; and limiting exposure to winter weather by covering your hands and face when outside. 

Check out these skin-care-centric books from the St. Louis Public Library:

• The Skin Commandments: 10 Rules to Healthy, Beautiful Skin by Tony Nakhla
• Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist by Debra Jaliman
• The Essential Guide to Natural Skin Care: Choosing Botanicals, Oils & Extracts for Simple & Healthy Beauty by Helene Berton
• Your Skin, Younger: New Science Secrets to Naturally Younger Skin by Alan C. Logan, Mark G. Rubin, & Philip M. Levy
• Skin Care Secrets: How to Have Naturally Healthy Beautiful Skin by Liz Earle

And if you’d like some more information, here are a few websites to check out:

• Tips on coping with dry winter skin from the National Library of Medicine
• A printable handout on dry skin from the National Library of Medicine
• Dry skin information from the American Academy of Dermatologists
• Risk factors involved with dry skin from the American Academy of Dermatologists
• 10 tips for relieving dry winter skin from the American Academy of Dermatologists