Anyone who has lived in a dry climate will tell you itchy, winter dry skin makes you miserable. This is because our skin, the largest organ in our body, is made up largely of water. In dry weather conditions, our skin is literally sucked dry wrapping us in a large itchy covering – literally.

Many suggest ways to combat the problem. Most suggestions include tepid showers, slathering on moisturizers, and staying out of the wind and weather.

In the high elevations of the northern Rocky Mountains the weather gets dry and cold. Furthermore, this is big ranching country and staying inside is NOT an option. To make matters worse, when one comes in from the cold, nothing sounds better than a nice hot shower to chase the chill out of their bones. Of course, most chores have to be tended to morning and evening. In other words, this is a process most ranchers’ skin undergoes twice a day. Clearly a recipe for winter skin disaster.

It does not have to be. In fact, while tepid showers, slathering in moisturizer, and staying indoors may work, they are not the only option. Furthermore, the simple suggestions below are cheap, easy to use, and best of all they are tried and tested in some of the harshest weather found in the lower forty-eight.

To combating winter dry skin you need to focus on three points:

– the ‘soap’ you use

– the ‘moisturizer’ you apply

– the ‘fluids’ you drink

The Soap You Use

Soap is drying. It extracts the oil from your skin. As these natural lubricants are removed, your skin becomes stiff and brittle. Thus every moment pulls and stretches and irritates. Scratching, of course, further complicates the problem.

For most people living in dry climates, oil build up on their skin is the least of their worries. Since oil removal is not really an issue, some suggest using no soap at all. However, after a day working with animals, most ranch folks want something to wash away the smell and dirt.

The best soap for combating winter dry skin is baby soap. Because baby soap is specially formulated for an infant’s sensitive skin, it cleans without harsh drying chemicals. If the thought of walking around smelling like a toddler does not appeal to you, there are unscented baby soaps on the market which work just as well.

The Moisturizer You Apply

While using baby soap in that nice hot shower will help avoid stripping all the natural oils from your skin, hot water and winter dry air combined still extract a lot of your skin’s moisture. Thus it is important to replace the oils being removed.

Moisturizers only sit on the surface of your skin. While this helps to seal your skin, lubricating and further protecting from moisture loss, it often leave your skin with a slightly greasy feel. While many recommend this skin cream or that hand lotion, effectively combating your dry skin can actually be accomplished with neither. Through the pills available at https://www.mypillapp.com/burning-belly-fat/ site, the belly fat of the person will be reduced. The healthy body will not invite diseases and will fir for long period.

Here in the northern Rocky Mountains, folks have found a different product for controlling their winter dry skin. A product which is cheap, easy to obtain, and easy to use. Hair conditioner.

Hair conditioner contains many moisturizing qualities found in hand or face lotion. However, because it is designed for hair, it is less greasy and usually lighter in composition. Furthermore, if you apply it correctly, it disappears leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth, and moisturized – but never oily.

To work most effectively, your moisturizer needs to be applied immediately. As soon as you turn off the hot water or climb out of the tub, grab your bottle of condition, and squeeze a dime size glob in your hand. Rub your hands briskly together then apply the condition to your still wet, still warm skin. While it helps to pat not rub dry, in the end it really makes little noticeable difference.

While you can combat winter dry skin and still enjoy one or two hot showers each day, you need to faithfully apply conditioner to your skin after each shower. Otherwise it will begin to dry and crack and itch.

The Fluids You Drink

Taking care of the outside is only a piece of the battle. Another key to combating winter dry skin is to drink plenty of water. While you may drink all the coffee, tea, or soda you wish, they do little to combat the problem. In fact, they all have a diuretic effect which causes your body to eliminate fluids. A daily quota of eight 8-ounce glasses of water is the best way to keep your skin lubricated from the inside out.

Hands and Feet

Because our hands and feet tend to be our driest extremities, it is important to give them extra care and attention in the winter. Our feet benefit from their protected environment inside our shoes and boots. However, our hands get used and abused and exposed repeatedly to winter’s dry air.

To further complicated matters, many ranch women use their hands hard – outside and inside. Together these create a recipe for seriously dry skin. Dry. Flaky. Itchy. Cracking. It can go from bad to worse.

While drinking water, using baby soap and applying conditioner will benefit our hands, it often is not quite enough. Winter dry hands need extra attention to combat their daily abuse.

Glycerin is a wonderful agent to combat winter dry skin. While it is a bit unpleasant to use, it pays off big time. If your hands or feet are in need of serious attention, slather them in pure glycerin and cover them with cotton gloves or socks.

Most find putting glycerin on their feet before putting on their socks and shoes not at all uncomfortable. However, putting glycerin on our hands, followed by a pair of gloves? Who has time for it?

The best solution is to apply the glycerin and the gloves last thing before crawling in bed at night. The glycerin does its work while you sleep. You wake to softer, more pliable, happier hands.

If, however, you just cannot bear the thought of sleeping in gloves, try applying the glycerin and gloves and settling in to watch a good movie or TV show. If you watch at least two hours, you will have given the glycerin time to work.

One further northern Rocky Mountain skin care tip. This one will probably sound the least likely of all. Nonetheless, it does its job with little fuss and no inconvenience.

Anyone who has spent time in a dry, cold, high altitude winter environment has dealt with dry, cracked fingers. You know. The cracks which develop on your fingertips – usually on the very end or near your fingernails. The ones that burn like fire and bleed if you even look at them.

The easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to deal with sink cracks is to dab a drop of Superglue on the crack. Not only will it seal the crack, preventing further drying, burning, and bleeding, it will also protect it from irritation and help it to heal.

As time passes, the Superglue will wear off. Continue to apply a fresh application as needed until the crack heals – from the inside out.

Winter dry skin can make life miserable. However, combating it does not have to be hard, expensive, or complicated. A few common, inexpensive everyday products, a minute extra after your shower, and a good daily dose of water and you will find your winter dry skin blues have disappeared.