Natural Remedies for Winter Dryness

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR WINTER DRYNESS

Baby, it’s cold outside!  Cold winter weather usually brings dry hair and skin along with it.  The heat is on in our homes and the dry, hot air strips away the moisture from our bodies.  You have to deal with managing flyaway hair and zapping everything you touch along with flaky, dull skin.

Here are some ways to help you get some much-needed moisture back into your life!

• Use a humidifier.  Humidifiers add moisture to the air.  The moisture can help alleviate problems caused by dry air, such as stuffy noses and sore throats.  Make sure to change the water in your humidifier every day and clean the humidifier with strong acidic water every three days to prevent bacteria and mold formation.
• Drink lots of water.  It’s important to stay hydrated all the time, but it’s especially important in the winter when both the air and our skin are very dry.  Our skin has an easier time staying hydrated on the outside when it is hydrated on the inside.
• Take a cool/warm bath or shower.  It’s tempting to take hot, steamy showers in the winter when it’s so cold outside, but hot water actually dries out your skin.  Mix 6 to 10 liters of mildly acidic water into your bath to help soften your skin.  This water is the same pH as your skin, so it’s good for personal care.
• Moisturize immediately after your bath while your skin is still damp.  Choose a moisturizer that has all-natural ingredients, not harmful chemicals that contribute to dryness.  Remember that our bodies absorb everything that is on our skin.  If you wouldn’t want to eat it, you shouldn’t rub it all over yourself!  Better yet, instead of slathering lotion all over your body, spray it with mildly acidic water after your shower to lock in moisture and keep your skin at the proper pH.
• Use natural soaps.  Most soap has a high alkaline pH, which washes away dirt but leaves your skin dry.  Because our skin is slightly acidic, many commercial soaps cause our skin to dry out since they are not properly pH balanced.
• Use a shower filter to filter out dangerous chemicals such as chlorine.
• Use mildly acidic water to wash your face.  Since it is the same pH as your skin, it won’t dry out your skin.  Strong acidic water has antiseptic properties and can be used for soaking dry, cracked and chapped hands.
• Spray hair with mildly acidic water to help alleviate tangles and dryness.

Following these tips will help keep you and your body hydrated through the rest of these winter months until the damp spring weather comes to greet us!