DRY HANDS? TRY THESE WINTER SKIN CARE TIPS

Winter can be rough on the skin - especially the hands, which are often exposed to the colder, more severe weather. During the winter, the decrease in humidity, as well as the harsher winds, causes us to lose a lot of water in our skin, so that makes everything dry up.

Naturally, one of the best ways to combat skin dryness and irritation is to use moisturizers. But first, it is important to distinguish between the two different classes of moisturizers.

The first class, called humectants, brings water into the skin, while the second class, called emollients, seals the water in. For colder, drier months, people should turn to emollients. Emollients are heavier, thicker, greasier lotions that contain ingredients like dimenthicone and lanolin. You should use them especially at night before bed and after taking a shower. In addition to moisturizers, products like Vaseline and Skinfood by Weleda are recommended to treat dry skin. Sleeping in cotton gloves after applying lotion or these other products can also help seal moisture into skin.

To prevent dryness from occurring in the first place, people should try to limit excess hand washing in favor of using alcohol-based sanitizers, because soaps and other detergents can be drying. When it is necessary to wash your hands, use lukewarm water instead of hot.

For hands that have been severely affected by winter weather - think red, ashy and cracked - applying lotions and other skin products can be irritating, even painful. Covering the cracks with liquid bandages can help with the stinging. However, if the problem is not going away, or spreading, it may be a sign of a more serious condition, like psoriasis or eczema.

source: www.foxnews.com/health