Tips For Protecting Skin, Hair From Winter Weather

The holidays are right around the corner and virtually everyone is excited for the joy ahead. The inkling for a snowman making sets in only after you've had the chance to sip apple cider and sit by a warm fire. Girls and guys alike get the opportunity to wear their new boots and scarves with old favorites, but there is a downside - no one enjoys the damage that the winter season holds for your skin and hair.

Here are some tips to rebel against the dry winter skin and hair that the season has in store.

Start In The Shower

Coming inside from a cold walk from one side of campus to the other, it is completely understandable that a hot shower could be exactly the remedy for your cold toes. However, the longer and hotter the shower, the more detrimental it can be for both your skin and hair. The hot temperatures dry out your skin, while the warm water can be too stripping and drying, according to cosmeticsgalore.com.

Try adding an in-shower moisturizer to your routine - such as Olay Ultra Moisture In-shower Body Lotion with Shea Butter ($7.99). For your strands, utilize a leave in conditioner after you're done with your shower regimen, adding back the extra moisture. Try Garnier Fructis Leave-In Weightless Anti-Split Ends Treatment Length & Strength ($5.99).

Look At The Label

A lot of products that you typically use year round are not ideal for the cool conditions.

"The more oil a moisturizer contains the more effectively it protects against moisture loss," according to skincarphysicians.com.

This means try switching to an oil-based moisturizer and using it more frequently. The areas that tend to dry out the fastest and most commonly are also the most exposed. Your hands, elbows and knees commonly need a thicker, longer-lasting moisturizer.

Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion and Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream (both around $8) are specially formulated to relief winter extreme dry skin, and according to their website, are proven to moisturize for a full 24 hours.

"I usually used some sort of lotion with tanner in it," said 3rd-semester psychology and marketing double major Halina Beck. "I get color and it doesn't dry out my skin."

Never Let Your Guard Down

Make sure when you are leaving your room to dress appropriately. Massive exposed patches of skin are just asking to be dried out, but the fashion industry has provided dozens of ways to be stylish and cautious. Try adding a hat to protect against winds harsh effects on hair, or wearing a scarf and sunglasses to protect your neck and eye area. Skin companies have made products to remedy the effects of these conditions, including a variety of lip balms.

Exfoliate

Make sure to exfoliate your skin at least once a week. A lesson in skin care 101 - the process of exfoliation "helps to speed up the process of skin flaking and shedding by taking off the uppermost, dead layer of cells," according to mamashealth.com. "[This] expose[s] the finer, more translucent tissue underneath."

Lotions provide the full effect only after skin has been exfoliated, leaving a fresh surface. Try using Neutrogena Visibly Clear Exfoliating Wash ($6.50) for an all over smoother feel to skin.

Use Household Items, In A Different Way

The best ways to relieve winter frizz are not necessarily through expensive products. Stephanie Simek, a 5th-semester communications major, recommends using dryer sheets to relieve frizz. "My roommate suggested it to me and I didn't believe her," she said. "But it actually works and they're a lot cheaper than the products I would buy, and well - it smells good."

Head to the cabinet and grab the honey, which can be used for both the maintenance of your skin and hair.

"Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains water," according to pioneerthinking.com. "So honey is a natural fit for a variety of moisturizing products including cleansers, creams, shampoos and conditioners."

Contact Emily Abbate at Emily.Abbate@UConn.edu.