• Hot water dries the skin, stripping it of its protective layer of oil. When
you’re cleansing your face or bathing, switch to warm or tepid water.
• If you love to soak in a tub, add bath oils.
• Try a moisturizing body wash or bar to hydrate your skin when you
shower. This is a good way to start reversing any damage.
• A gentle cleanser that doesn’t rob skin of its natural oils may be a better
choice to wash your face than soap.
• Pat your skin gently to dry it. Leave it somewhat moist to let follow-up
skin treatments help seal in that moisture.
• Smooth on a moisturizing lotion that will hydrate and nourish your skin
all day long.
• If you’re going outside, even briefly, and the sun is shining, the rays are
amplified by 80 percent on snow. Use sunscreen.
• The thin skin around the eyes is more vulnerable and more likely to
dehydrate. A protective eye cream will rehydrate, restore smoothness
and brightness, and help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
• A restorative night cream helps to lift, firm and smooth away wrinkles
while you sleep. As it aids in skin renewal, it helps to restore hydration,
soothe your skin and allow you to awaken with a more radiant, more
youthful look.
Hair: Dry and cold winters can be very damaging to your hair. As the cold
weather hits, you probably notice that your hair starts to behave differently.
Hair easily becomes dry during this time of year—from dry indoor heating and
the dry cold weather outside—and becomes more difficult to manage. Proper
steps need to be taken to ensure that your hair does not get damaged.
• Wear a scarf, hat or cap to protect your hair from the cold and wind, but
make sure that it’s not so tight that it will restrict circulation in your scalp.
• Use a conditioner daily.
• Once you have your hair moist, lock in the moisture by running your hair
through cold water; this will also give your hair extra shine.
• Don’t go outside with your hair
wet: Your hair will freeze if it’s cold
enough outside and may break.
• Limit your use of “hot” items such
as blow dryers and curling irons.
• If you need to use a “hot” item
on your hair, use a leave-in
conditioner first.
• Avoid taking hot showers or
washing your hair in hot water;
use warm or cool water instead.
The heat can dry out and/or
damage your hair.
• Hair products that have the word
“replenish” on the label are made to
moisturize hair.—T. Foster Jones
THIS&THAT
ALL ABOUT SKIN
DID YOU KNOW that skin is the body’s
largest organ? And, some might argue,
it’s the most fascinating, though often
taken for granted.
Skin makes up between 15 and 20 percent
of an adult’s body weight. It is constantly
being regenerated. In fact, 2 billion to 3
billion skin cells are shed daily in a month-long renewal.
In skin regeneration, cells are born in the
lower layer of the skin, called the dermis.
They migrate upward for about two weeks
until they reach the bottom part of the
epidermis, which is the outermost skin layer.
The cells then spend another two weeks in
the epidermis, where they continue to move
toward the surface until they finally die and
are shed.
Why this constant regeneration? The skin
is the body’s first line of defense against
infection, injuries, dehydration and other
problems. Like the liver, skin can break down
harmful substances. And skin absorbs and
uses nutrients.
Given such an important role, it only makes
sense to know your skin—and take good
care of it. A
