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Healthy Living
March 1, 2016

Fight Winter Dryness With These Hydrating Tips

Between icy, whipping winds, freezing temperatures and your furnace working overtime, the air is much more dry compared to the warmer, less harsh seasons. Maybe you’ve noticed your hands are unusually dry, or perhaps you’ve noticed you’re a bit thirstier than normal – both of these are signs of winter dryness, which can wreak havoc on your body.

Whether you need to increase your fluids or apply an oil-based moisturizer, consider these hydrating tips to fight winter dryness for a happy, healthy, hydrated you.

Buy a Humidifier
Do you recall how humid summer air is? The air is heavy and damp, your hair frizzes, and sweat never seems to evaporate off your skin. A humidifier releases water vapors into the air, replenishing the absent moisture. Humidifiers can help lessen chapped lips, dry skin, nosebleeds, snoring, cold and sinus issues and more. Absopure steam distilled water is the optimal water for your humidifier, as it can prevent bacterial growth in the humidifier. Distilled water also prevents mineral deposit dust from circulating in the air, your lungs and on your furniture, since it has fewer minerals than tap water.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Are you drinking enough water? Chances are, you’re not. Although guzzling an ice cold glass of water doesn’t sound appealing during the colder months, it’s important to stay as hydrated as you would any other time of year. Challenge yourself to drink one 8-ounce glass of water before every meal. Not only will this help you increase your water intake, it’ll fill you up and curb your appetite.

If you can’t fathom drinking cold water during the winter, try hydrating with hot beverages. Start your day by filling a thermos with hot water and green tea or hot water with lemon. Hot beverages will keep your body cozy and warm from the inside out. If you’re craving coffee late in the afternoon but fear you’ll be too wired to sleep, try decaffeinated coffee. Unlike regular coffee, the decaffeinated variety does not contain diuretics, which can be dehydrating.

Moisturize
Drinking water isn’t the only way to stay hydrated. A healthy skincare regime is a great way to combat winter dryness, as winter air can leave your skin feeling dehydrated, itchy and neglected. Replace all skincare products containing alcohol with mild, fragrance-free products. Alcohol is extremely drying and will only add to the problem. Select an oil-based moisturizer to aid your skin during periods of low humidity. “Night creams” are typically heavier ointments or oil-based creams, which will lock moisture into place. You’ll be surprised how supple your skin can be during winter!

Apply SPF
Ultraviolet rays don’t magically disappear when the warm weather does! Although the sun may not feel as strong during the winter, UV rays are powerful when bouncing off fresh, white snow. These harmful rays are invisible and can lead to skin cancer, prematurely aging skin and nasty sunburns. For those who love to hit the slopes, UV rays become 4% more intense every 1,000 feet you climb. Slather on a healthy dose of SPF 15 or 30 to protect yourself from getting sunburnt, which can dry out your skin.

Eat More!
Sorry, but we’re not talking about cookies or pizza. No matter how you slice or dice them, there are a number of fruits and vegetables with high water contents! Although you might be craving comfort foods during the winter, watermelon, strawberries, celery and spinach contain more than 90% water. Incorporate these water-dense foods into your winter diet and you’ll be hitting your daily water consumption goals in no time.

How do you fight winter dryness? Share your tips in the comments below!

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