Dry-skin Quenchers: The Ultimate Skin Survival Guide for Winter

Even though Karachi’s winter is over before you can say, well, “Karachi’s winter,” the dryness this time of year is a little more enduring. Whether stemming from the cold Quetta winds or the simple fact that we live in a desert, the dry air is unavoidable. And while it may provide relief from the uncomfortable humidity, there is a definite downside to this otherwise lovely season: stretched, itchy, dehydrated skin. However with a little understanding and organisation, you can start to think of the winter as your window of opportunity to make your skin feel, and smell, fab!

Dermatology 101: Understand this Basic Fact First

Start to think of your skin as a sponge. It can absorb (to a point) moisture from the air around it, or from a product that you smear on it. So in dry weather, your skin, in a tragic state, is a bit of a dry sponge. You need to tend to it, in order to allow it to soak up the moisture.

Defeating Dry Skin

Here are five simple steps to help you and your skin survive the dryness of winter:

Use a loofah or exfoliating gloves on dry skin, but not on your face. Photo: Bina Khan

1. Exfoliation
   The top layer of your skin is made up of flaky dead cells, and sloughing this layer of skin off on a regular basis is the key to healthy skin. A facial, for example, is all about a good, professional-grade exfoliation, which exposes your new, fresh skin to the world. While people are pretty clear that regular facials and a good face scrub will take care of your face, bodies are often woefully neglected. Whether you treat yourself to a homemade scrub (salt, sugar or brown sugar mixed in equal parts with oil, be it baby, almond or even vegetable, with a drop of essential oil to make it fancy), or whether you buy a ready-made scrub (keep your eyes peeled on your next vacation, or you can use what we use at the salon: scrubs from The Body Shop), you will be preparing your skin to absorb every bit of moisture it can. Use a loofah or exfoliating gloves on dry skin for best results.
2. Soaps and Shower Gels
   The market is awash (pardon the pun) with reasonably priced and delicious-smelling cleansing options for your skin’s winter needs. Whether it is Nivea’s Sensual Beauty cream oil shower product with vanilla blossom and shea oil, Dove’s Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash or the divine smelling Fa’s yoghurt and coconut shower cream, the shelves at your local supermarket offer up a bonanza of heady ingredients and smells. There are tonnes of handsomely packaged, gorgeously manly smelling ones for the boys too. If you would like to be a little more fair trade, you can try the fantastic bars available from The Body Shop; both the shea and the brazil nut bars of soap are nourishing and earthy smelling.
3. Timely Moisturising
   Once you have cleared your skin of its dead layer, you now have a real chance to lock in moisture. Before your exfoliation, your dead skin was absorbing moisture and leaving your skin underneath thirsty for hydration. Now your moisturiser has a chance to penetrate. Keeping in mind our sponge analogy, the best time to moisturise your skin is right after a shower. In extreme cases, don’t even dry off, just rub in some baby oil or moisturiser onto your wet skin. Remember to pat dry with your towel as rubbing will remove the emollient layer that is locking the water in. The advantage to this method is that your skin will not feel greasy. You could, alternatively, dry off with a towel and moisturise before you feel your skin dry out and turn parched.
4. Moisturisers
   Obviously there are all kinds of moisturisers, but in the winter shea and avacado are good ingredients to look for. I am a big fan of Johnson’s Baby Oil. When used on wet skin, it leaves you itch free and smelling so cute! Plus, the modern baby has so many options; there are now lavender and even aloe Johnson’s Baby Oils from which to choose. And since we know that what is good for baby is also good for you, I say, go nuts! Nivea is also a hot seller the world over, and there is no denying the retro cool of that royal-blue tin.
5. Lips
   All this advice also applies for your lips. However, to exfoliate your mouth, use a moist baby’s toothbrush in circular motions, as loofahs and exfoliating gloves are far too rough for your face. I like to use a three-tier system for my lips in the winter. After my exfoliation, I wash my face, quickly moisturise and use a lip balm as a final emollient layer to keep me smiling.

Bonus tip (or plea): Please ladies, educate your sons, brothers, husbands and dads about this as well. They deserve to look and feel as well cared for as you do!