The winter is a harsh time for the skin. Windburn is one of the most common complaints, and causes discomfort over a period of a few days. The good news is that you can treat it and even prevent it from even happening. Here are a few tips to help care for your skin during this harsh season.
Cover Up When Possible
Keep your skin covered up as much as possible. The worst area to be damaged during the winter is the face, especially the cheeks and around the eyes. There is only so much that you can cover up around here and still see and breathe. However, hats and scarves are good investments.
Use Sunscreen and Moisturising Creams
Moisture will help to prevent the skin from drying out to the point where it becomes cracked and damaged. While moisturising creams are good, look for sunscreen with added moisturiser.
Sunscreen is still important during the coldest season of the year. There is still sun and the UV rays are just as damaging. However, try to leave the sunscreen off for about 15 minutes so you still get some vitamin D through your skin.
Have a Protective Barrier
If you can’t cover your skin up, at least give it a protective barrier. Think about it on your car. When you want to prevent your windscreen from freezing, you can put a layer of cardboard and it will be fine.
Use a layer of petroleum jelly to protect your skin from the hard wind. However, this will dry your skin out if used too much, so use it sparingly and only when you can’t cover up the area.
Protective Lip Balms
The lips become chapped and painful during the cold months. Instead of trying to deal with it, protect them from it even happening. There are plenty of protective lip balms available over the counter. You can also get some with added SPF protection, which is great for protection against the sun. It’s sunscreen for your lips.
Stop Licking Your Lips
Licking your lips and the area around your mouth is really bad for windburn. Your skin doesn’t hold the moisture but the heat from your saliva adds more to the burn.
If you really need to ease the feeling of chapped and painful lips, use some lip balm. If that isn’t enough to cool the windburn, place some ice on the area.
Eat a Healthy and Balanced Diet
You’ll be surprised by the amount a healthy diet helps. When you get the right type of vitamins, your skin will produce enough oils naturally to protect it against windburn.
If you do have windburn, you will improve the recovery period.
Don’t Go Out
Instead of trying to protect your skin from the wind, don’t face it at all. Spend the cold winter months instead playing board games instead of going out to the park. You could also get some new DVDs or have parties in the home to limit the chances of facing the harsh weather.