What to Do When the Weather is Dry



Does your skin change when the weather gets dry? Keep reading to learn what to do.

Changes in the weather

Depending on where you live, there may be changes in the weather from one season to another. In some places the changes are more dramatic and in others they are more subtle. But either way, this can affect how your skin looks and feels. In Southern California during the winter months, not only does the temperature get colder, but the humidity decreases and the air is dryer. This causes more water to evaporate from your skin into the air. As a result, your skin will feel dry, sensitive, and irritated. It may look red or flaky.

What to do when the weather changes

There are a number of things you can do when the weather gets dry. This is particularly important if you have dry or sensitive skin to begin with. About two thirds of your skin is made of water. So you need enough water for the appropriate barrier and other functions of the skin. There are three main steps to do this. The first is drinking enough water. So be sure to drink at least eight cups of water every day. Also, drinks that have caffeine or alcohol will dehydrate you. So if you have coffee or alcohol, you’ll need to drink even more. Sometimes you don’t feel thirsty when you’re dehydrated. An easy way to tell if you’re dehydrated is to look at your urine color. A clear color means you’re well hydrated and a dark color means you’re dehydrated. The second step is getting the water into your skin. Products that include ingredients such as hyaluronic acid will help. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar naturally found in your skin. It draws a thousand times it’s weight in water. So when there’s more hyaluronic acid in your skin, your skin will be more hydrated. Therefore, if you don’t use a hyaluronic acid product, you should. And if you already do and your skin is still dry, you can use more of it or apply it more often. The third and final step is keeping the water trapped in your skin. Your skin is an external organ and is always exposed to the air. This is particularly true for your face since it’s not covered by clothing like most of your body. Since it’s exposed to the air, the water content in your skin can slowly evaporate into the air. And this happens more when the weather becomes dry. The way to prevent the water from evaporating into the air and making your skin dry is by applying an appropriate moisturizer. If your skin is oily, you’ll need to use a lighter moisturizer. But if your skin is dry, you’ll want a heavier moisturizer. Many people will apply a light moisturizer in the morning so their skin can breathe easily during the day and a heavier moisturizer at night. When the weather changes, you can change your routine. For example, if you normally only apply a light moisturizer twice a day, you can switch to using a heavy one at night and continue using the light one in the morning. If you apply a light one in the morning and a heavy one at night, you can switch to using the heavier one twice a day. If it’s still not enough, then you can moisturize even more than twice a day. See what works best for your skin and don’t be afraid to slightly modify your skin care regimen when the weather gets dry.

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