Baby your skin this winter: gentle care will smooth away the rough spots

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1996 by Veronica Hughes

SOME THINGS about winter seem inevitable. Gray skies. Slush. Dry skin. You can't do much about the first two, but you can do something for skin that rivals the snow for flakiness. Gentle care and natural remedies can treat and prevent dry skin. Before treating your skin, it's helpful to understand how it works. Skin--the body's largest organ--is a multi-layered defense mechanism that prevents germs from entering your body. The top layer of skin is called the epidermis. Its outer covering is made up of compacted dead cells called keratin, a dried-out protein that is constantly being shed. Keratin protects against invasion by bacteria, fungi and viruses. The epiderrmis has another protectant called sebum, an oily secretion of fats and waxes that helps skin retain moisture.

The lack of humidity in the air, both indoors and out, is the most significant cause of dry skin in the winter, says Andrew Lazar, M.D., associate professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Dry air sucks moisture from any available source, including your skin. When it's lost enough moisture, your skin cracks, becoming flaky and itchy. The skin also loses moisture when it is soaked then exposed to air, and from contact with harsh soaps or chemicals that deplete the skin's oily secretions. Dry skin tends to be more common on the body's trunk and extremities rather than the face, says Lazar, because these body parts have fewer oil glands, and the extremities typically are exposed to water more often.

The consequences of dry skin can be more than just cosmetic. "If your skin is dry and irritated, you'll scratch it and break the surface," says Lazar. "This allows bacteria, viruses and fungi to enter. Preventing dry skin helps prevent infection." Taking care of dry skin can also ease the effects of serious skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, which are painful, inflammatory disorders that are not directly related to dryness but are made worse by irritation, says Lazar: "If your skin is dry, it's more easily irritated."

GENTLE HYGIENE HABITS ARE KEY

Care of the skin--whether on the face or the body--begins with how you clean it. "We live in a society where cleanliness is deemed next to godliness," says Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and author of several skin-care books. "In fact, showering once a day may be too much. Our skin is not set up to take that kind of abuse." Hot water, deodorant soap, vigorous washing and brisk toweling all deplete the skin of moisture. What's more, none of these things is necessary for good hygiene, says Novick, because the bacteria that break down the sweat produced by 97 percent of the body's surface glands do not produce an odor. Only on certain parts of the body do the sweat-eating bacteria produce what we call body odor. "If you never bathed your entire life and just took a damp cloth and dampmopped your underarms, your groin and your feet, says Novick, "you would never smell."

If you're prone to dry skin, wash your face and body as infrequently as possible, and take lukewarm showers instead of baths, says Novick: "Showers are better because people are prone to soak too long in a bath." (The longer you soak, the more sebum you remove.) Novick is adamant about limiting showers to no more than five minutes, and suggests using a timer if necessary. Whenever you wash any part of your body, use a gentle cleanser labeled for sensitive skin; if your face or body is blotchy or feels tight after washing, your cleanser is too strong. Wash with your fingertips instead of a sponge or cloth, which are more abrasive, says Novick, who disagrees with the popular advice to remove dead, dry skin by exfoliating. "Avoid oil. You can also make your own herbal moisturizer by combining a total of 12 drops of any or all of these essential oils with an ounce of lotion. Herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford, director of the Olai Center for Phytotherapy in Ojai, Calif., a private practice and teaching center, suggests another way to use essential oils on the skin: Combine them with a half-and-half mixture of vitamin E oil and almond or apricot kernel oil, which will seal in moisture. To an ounce of this mixture, add three drops of sandalwood or rose geranium oil, or try lavender, which has a fresh, clean aroma and disinfects without disturbing your normal skin bacteria. Massage into your skin while it's still damp.

Hands and feet may need special care, hands because they're in and out of water all day, and feet because heavy socks make them perspire more; when sweat evaporates, the skin's oils evaporate too. Use plastic, cotton-lined gloves when doing dishes and using household cleaners; don't wear them for more than 15 minutes at a time though, or your hands may start to sweat. Reapply moisturizer every time your hands get wet, while they're still damp. For very dry hands and feet, apply an occlusive cream and wear cotton gloves and socks overnight to aid absorption of the moisturizer. A note of caution: Severely itchy, cracked skin on hands and feet could be a symptom of psoriasis, an allergy, or even fungus, says Pinnell, so see your doctor if you experience these symptoms.