The main enemy of skin hydration is dry air. By January here in the East there’s no more water in the drywall and furniture; plus air from heating systems is usually waterless – and this is when we see most dry skin problems.
The second main enemy of skin hydration is over washing.  Your skin’s barrier against water loss is easily removed by frequent or vigorous washing – especially with harsher soaps, scrubbing pads, nets, and loofahs. The next layer of skin is alive and becomes easily inflamed when exposed to dry air.
You’ll know your skin is dry when … there are tiny dry flakes on your legs and your skin becomes itchy – sometimes insufferably so – especially when you remove your clothes for the evening and the back of your arms, hips, and legs itch to the point you can draw blood scratching.Â
You now have … The Winter Itch!
Excessive dryness and scratching further disrupts your skin’s natural barrier – so infection can occur, and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis will be exacerbated.
Advice:
Lower the temperature of your house. Lower temperature air will hold more water molecules. I recommend 66 degrees at night and 70 to 72 degrees during the daytime – slightly higher (72) if you have children at home.
Wear adequate clothing – covering up air exposed areas as much as possible to retain your skin’s water.
If you have a choice, use radiant or baseboard heating instead of forced air.
Humidifiers can be helpful. Be sure to use additives in the water to retard bacterial and mold growth. Mold spores can trigger allergies and at times can even be dangerous.
Bathe as infrequently as possible, and certainly no more than once daily. If you go to the gym or Yoga class, a simple rinse-off is sufficient for the non-odor areas.
Avoid physical scrubbing devices completely. You need as much of your intact dead skin layer as possible to obviate water loss. This means NO washcloth or nets, except for odor areas.
Avoid hot water, using warm instead. Prolonged showers are inadvisable.
Soaps: should be of the moisturizing variety – bar or liquid. Examples are Dove, Caress, and Tone.
Pat dry with the towel – no scrubbing dry. I know it feels so good — but your skin will lose more valuable dead skin layer.
Immediately after patting dry, apply a generous amount of moisturizing lotion to your skin – especially where most exposure to ambient air occurs – your arms and legs. Then apply a facial moisturizing cream.
Using over-the-counter moisturizing creams and lotions are much better than using none at all.Â
However, there have been recent developments in exceptionally good hydrating products (available here in the Center for Aesthetics) which contain Hyaluronic acid and Green Tea which both attracts and holds water, and are anti-inflammatory.Â
It is inflammation triggering the itch sensation.
Your skin is in pain.
Apply more of your moisturizing, hydrating skin care products throughout the day. You cannot overdo it!Â
Here’s the basic rule: if you are tempted (or driven) to scratch – then is when moisturizing creams and lotions are required. You’ll soon know how often your skin needs to have additional moisturizing help to prevent these episodes of severe itching.
Try these methods – your skin will thank you.
James C. Fairfield, MD FAAD
