Ways to Avoid that Winter Itch
October 21, 2009
Winter itch is more characteristic in places which have low humidity level in winter. One would never experience a winter itch if he were staying near a
beach area. One could easily get out of the house and bask in the warm and moist air. Those who live in other areas can easily avoid scratching the skin and keeping the skin from flaking; to avoid that winter itch.
The first reason for winter itch or the flaking of the skin is to avoid the main cause, which is the lack of water in the skin. Some of them mistake it to be the loss of oil, but that is a mistaken notion. So dear folks drink a lot of water or fluids to drink away winter itch. It is best to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water a day. But if you are already hydrated there is nothing to worry and your dryness of skin could be due to some other cause.
The best way to treat to hydrate the skin is to soak in it. It is better to soak in lukewarm water than in very hot or cold water. This does not mean one needs to bathe daily, but it is best to bath in cooler water. Make sure to lubricate your skin after a bath by using a good moisturizer. Moisturizer is basically meant more to retain the moisture of the skin than add oil to it. So it is best to dry oneself after a bath by allowing some moisture to just stay.
Finish off the bath schedule by then applying a moisturizer. Dry yourself damp—then stop. “It’s much more effective to apply moisturizer to damp skin immediately after bathing than to put it on totally dry skin. Remember it is essential to apply a moisturizer each time you have a bath. Hence to avoid a winter itch you will require more moisturizer the more times you have a bath.
Oatmeal can be easily used to heal a skin and soothe it. So using powdered oatmeal for a bath really helps. It is best to use colloidal oatmeal, which easily remains suspended in water. It is not necessary to invest on a costly moisturizer. Using something like petroleum jelly or mineral oil also helps. Even vegetable oils could help. However everything depends on the feel and smell one aspires for.
A humidifier could surely help as winter itch is caused by dry skin. It may be very costly investing on a big unit, however one could easily have one near ones bed. In addition turning down the thermostat and keeping the house cooler would help. Cool air has a good anesthetic effect and also helps the blood vessels to not dilate and begin the cycle of the winter itch.
Hence one can easily avoid getting the winter itch if one is extra careful to take care of ones skin.
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