BALTIMORE, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Some 80 million U.S. adults experience dry, itchy or scaly skin during the winter due to blasts of cold, dry air; sun exposure and overheated homes.
"Winter is no friend to the skin any more than summer is," says Dr. Rebecca A. Kazin, assistant professor of dermatology and director of the Johns Hopkins Cosmetic Center. "Keeping warm is a priority, but it sucks the moisture out of your skin."
Kazin suggests to:
-- Switch to an oil-based cream or lotion and apply it often.
-- Use a humidifier at home and in the office and bag the long hot showers, however tempting. Take warm short showers, and slather on the moisturizer while skin is still damp.
-- Because frequent hand-washing is recommended to prevent winter colds and flu, use hand soap that contains moisturizing ingredients or an alcohol-free hand sanitizer.
-- Don't forget the sunscreen, not just on your face, but also your hands and lips. Snow reflects 80 percent of sunlight, so use SPF 15 or higher all winter.
-- Eat a diet containing strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and plums; and foods with essential fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and canola oil. Drink water and green tea in sufficient quantities to hydrate body cells and increase anti-inflammatory chemistry.
