Winter may be some people’s favorite season but it sure does bring about some health problems. Though you may not be aware of it, the air inside your house is probably drier than normal during the winter. This is due to the fact that in the effort to stay warm, the humidity in the air inside the house disappears.
What are the effects of dry air? One of the most obvious effects is chapped skin and flaky skin. Ever wonder why your lips get chapped in the winter? It’s probably the dry air. Another thing that dry air can do is to irritate your nasal passages and your throat. A worst case scenario could be your nose bleeding.
So how do you combat the effects of dry winter air? The best thing to do would be to have a humidifier at home. This would introduce some moisture into the air and reduce the effects of dry air. Aside from this, there are other things that you can do to reduce the adverse effects of dry air.
Chug that liquid. Water would be the best. Alternatives would be milk, fruit juice, and caffeine-free drinks.
Don’t soak in the bath. Though you may think that a long soak would be good for your skin, it might be better to take short showers during the winter. This is actually better for dry skin. Also, pay particular attention to the soap that you use – the milder the better.
Moisturize and then moisturize some more. Use lotion and moisturizing creams. The thicker, the better. Also, use petroleum jelly or lip moisturizer for your lips.
Originally posted on February 23, 2008 @ 11:05 pm