Protect Your Skin Naturally During the Cold, Dry Months Ahead

Let’s face it (pun intended): the toll the “lake effect” can take on skin during fall and winter isn’t pretty. Most people experience a dip in skin moisture levels. Ashy skin, dry or cracked hands, dandruff, bumpy elbows and knees, and even seasonal dermatitis may rear their ugly heads when the temperature takes a dive.

If you have sensitive skin or are simply searching for effective, natural skincare treatments, what are your options for the upcoming cold months? Besides specialty skincare products, such as Burt’s Bees, there are a number of ways to seal in moisture and prevent skin damage or the aggravation of skin disorders. 

Gettin’ Oily With It

For maximum moisturizing potential and minimal side effects, consider shopping your pantry. Olive oil, sunflower oil, and other pure vegetable-based oils can offer tremendous skin care benefits for dry or flaking skin. Mix a few teaspoons of oil in with a bath, smooth some on to moisten your lips, or mix it with a couple drops of essential oil to design your own scented oil rub. Focus on dry areas, such as elbows and knees, but keep direct application to the minimum effective amount to avoid getting clothing greasy.

Olive oil can also be applied to help heal a dry scalp. Rub a few teaspoons directly into the scalp and let the oil sit for several minutes before gently shampooing it out. 

Homemade Lotions and Potions

If oil isn’t your style, consider homemade masques and moisturizers for quick skin pick-me-ups. From avocados and honey to oatmeal and eggs, homemade natural skincare recipes can sooth cracked hands and scaly patches of dermatitis. A pampering, healing skincare treatment may just be in your refrigerator at this very moment (Hint: Lemon juice, tomatoes, tea, and milk may be among them!). 

Eat Your Way to Healthy Skin

Although healthy skin may have a lot to do with topical treatments, such as sunscreen and moisturizer, there are other very important contributors as well. Even if you don’t enjoy rubbing olive oil on your body, you may find it very beneficial to put in your body. A recent study showed that olive oil consumption is linked to less facial skin “photoaging”—the collection of discoloration, wrinkles, and sagging skin—even over short periods of time.

Other foods that may prevent skin damage and protect skin integrity include carrots, apricots, nuts, spinach, berries, fatty fish, beans, and lentils. To optimize skin health during the winter months, consider avoiding skin-harming ingredients, such as saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. 

Best of all? Dietary changes and homemade topical skin treatments may even be effective for certain skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis and keratosis. Just ask a doctor before applying a homemade treatment to broken skin, and avoid products or recipes with ingredients to which you have a known allergy.