Getting Skin-timate

Minnesota winters leave even the most hydrated of us with itching, burning, sensitive skin. The dry heat from furnaces coupled with icy blasts outdoors can strip us of our best defenses and leave us raw. Take time to devise a skin-care plan to help you get through the cold months. Local dermatologists say it’s not as complicated as most people think, and healthy skin habits pay off year-round.

+ Step one: Bathing does play a role.

Both Brian Zelickson, MD, of Zel Skin and Laser Clinic in Edina, and Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, of Crutchfield Dermatology in Eagan, say daily or every-other-day showers in warm temperatures are important because they do actually help your skin hydrate. “Your skin will absorb moisture from the water in your shower,” Crutchfield says. Zelickson cautions, however, that really hot baths will strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving you drier than before.

Instead, stay away from hot showers, and opt for shorter, warm ones, says Elizabeth Hagberg, MD, of Skin Rejuvenation Clinic. These—especially less often—will lead to better results.

+ Step two: Be careful what you lather with.

Crutchfield and Zelickson both say that many people use harsh cleansers on their skin that saps it of any moisture. “Start using milder soaps or less soap,” Zelickson says. Both Zelickson and Crutchfield recommend Dove, Cetaphil, Purpose, and Vanicream. “They’re inexpensive and readily available,” Crutchfield says. Also avoid body or facial products containing alcohol as they sap the skin of moisture.

+ Step three: Seal the deal.

What comes after the shower is just as—if not more—important than what you do in the shower: sealing in the moisture you’ve just added to your skin.

First, Crutchfield cautions, don’t scour yourself dry. Pat yourself dry, using a cotton towel. This will help leave some moisture in your skin.

Then, seal that moisture in by adding emollients to your skin, Zelickson says. AmLactin or AmLactin XL, made by local pharmaceutical company Upsher Smith, are great options and available at Target. Another option can be found in the grocery store, and Zelickson sees patients use it with positive results: olive oil. Follow the same process—pat dry with a terry cloth or cotton towel, pat on olive oil, and wrap yourself in a robe. Get luxurious while you let it sink it. Rumor has it Sophia Loren only uses olive oil.

Crutchfield also recommends AmLactin along with Cerave, an inexpensive ($10!) lotion that employs a high-tech process to keep skin hydrated. He also recommends Neutrogena with sesame oil and Eucerin Cream Plus.

Zelickson recommends changing the consistency of the emollient you use as you get more dry—oils or heavy, creamy lotions work well, but in cases of intense dryness, use an ointment-based moisturizer, such as Aquaphor. Ointment has an oil base rather than a cream base, so it cannot be washed away by water, thus forming a protective barrier that seals in moisture.

Hagberg recommends Skin Medica’s Dermal Repair Cream, which she says is “very moisturizing plus does some skin-damage repair.” She also likes the La Roche-Posay skin-care line, and for something “more aggressive,” she recommends Obagi’s skin-care line.

But, she says there’s one step between bathing and sealing that can help: a gentle exfoliation of the dead layer (keratinized layer) of skin, which allows the living skin to absorb more of the moisture you’re layering on. Using a lightly grainy exfoliant or a loofah in the shower can help slough off dry skin, but use a light hand—you don’t want to damage your skin. Just a couple of times a week is more than enough for most people. Then, of course, follow up with the ever-important moisturizer. Although you might switch to a lighter moisturizer in the summertime, the sun’s summer rays can also dry skin out, and switching back to a heavier moisturizer earlier in the season will also help.

Protect Your Assets Heed these for extra help when the weather turns cold. Number one: You need sunscreen. One that protects you from both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays. Year-round. “Even in winter,” Crutchfield emphasizes. But you knew that and already obey that number one skin rule, right? Number two: Another way to protect your skin and keep it hydrated—without doing much of anything—is to add a humidifier to your home environment, Zelickson says. Just make sure to clean it almost daily so that you aren’t inhaling mold or mildew.

This article has been adapted from the original, which was published in the October 2008 issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.