Defeating Winters Dry Air!

MAKE-IT-SAFE MONDAY

For most people, the dry air blowing outside makes it feel much like a desert! By now you most likely have heard the news of the Groundhog Day on February 2nd of this year. The results were that Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow, thus forecasting that there will be more weeks of winter ahead into March according to folklore. This means that the bitter cold, and dry air of this season will probably still be upon us for a while yet to come, so it is important to still be prepared for the conditions.

In winter the air is very dry due to the lack of moisture in the air during the season. Combine this crisp, dry air with the frigid winds that are blowing outside and you have a perfect recipe for some damage to the skin.
As mentioned in our previous safety blog “Frostbite”, Frostbite can easily occur when not properly dressed for the weather. It is crucial that when going outside one must bundle up to fight the wind. This means wearing a hat to protect the head, a scarf or face mask to protect the neck and face, and of course a warm coat and gloves. The less skin that is exposed to the wind, the less risk of frostbite and drying out of the skin. Which brings me to my next topic of discussion, and that’s keeping skin moisturized during the winter.

With the air being so very dry during this season, it is very common for people to get cracked or flaky dried skin as well as dandruff on the scalp. Ways to prevent and cure these symptoms would first include the obvious solution of applying lotion to the skin every morning as well as whenever mild dryness begins to occur. It is said that natural lotions with Jojoba oils and Shea butter are the most effective for curing dry skin.

Often a major mistake many people make that creates dry skin is simply drying off improperly when exiting the shower. By rubbing yourself with a towel vigorously, you are stripping your body of natural oils it produces to keep your skin moisturized in the first place. This goes the same for drying out your hair. The safest way of drying off yourself would be to “pat-dry” yourself which is where you pat yourself down instead of the “rub-dry” technique. The website  Prevention.com encourages that for drying hair it is often best let your hair dry on its own momentarily, and then use a blow dryer on its lowest setting to gently dry the hair.

Another very useful way to work with the dry air of winter would be to install a humidifier in your home. By doing so, this will create moisture and fill your home with it. In addition to moisturizing skin, this also is very helpful for relieving sinus issues caused from the dryness as well as prevention of bloody noses.

By dressing properly and taking extra good care of your body, you will be able to confidently take on winter without having to worry about the dry air!

Thank you for your time and attention, let’s make it safe this Monday!

Phil Kwitek
Demand Generation Specialist, Lift’n Buddy, a Southworth Company