7 Ways to Fight Dry Skin

The moistness of your skin depends largely on the moistness of the air around it. So during the cold winter months when humidity is low and heat is high, many people develop dry, itchy skin. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to treat. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Don’t take more than one five- or ten-minute shower per day, and make it lukewarn. Hot water strips away your skin’s natural oils.

2. Instead of soap, use moisturizing cleansers. Avoid deodorant soaps, perfumed soaps, and alcohol products.

3. Apply lotion immediately after showering or washing your hands, to seal in moisture.

4. Use fragrance-free laundry detergents and do not use fabric softener.

5. Use a humidifier in the winter. Set it at 60 percent, a level that should help replenish your top layer of skin.

6. Don’t use bath sponges, scrub brushes, and washcloths, which can damage your skin.

7. Never, ever scratch.

Source: Harvard Medical School newsletter

Plus: Fast Fixes to Winter Woes

Originally Published in Reader's Digest