Protecting your skin from winter weather

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the impact winter weather can have on our skin.

“Low temperatures, low humidity and strong, harsh winds can deplete skin of its natural lipid layer, which keeps it from drying out. Skin can also lose moisture from the dry air from furnaces and other heating sources,” said Dr. Sophie Hofstader, a dermatologist at The Scarborough Hospital.

Dr. Hofstader offers the following advice to avoid cracked, peeling skin and lips:

• Use lukewarm water for showering and washing your hands. Hot water can rob your skin of moisture.
• Ensure you moisturize your skin after showering or hand washing.
• Apply moisturizer before putting on gloves when you go outside in winter.
• Use lip balm regularly, as lips retain less moisture than other parts of the body and tend to dry out more quickly.
• Invest in a humidifier to keep the air moist in your home.
• Get enough omega-3 fatty acids by eating fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod, tuna, sardines and herring. The beneficial oils work at the cell level for skin.
• Be sure to wear a sunblock with an SPF of at least 30 if you’re going to be outside in the snow for more than 30 minutes, and re-apply it every two hours.

“As unusual as it may sound, the goal is not so much to add moisture to the skin, but to keep moisture in,” explains Dr. Hofstader.