Best Ways to Battle Itchy Winter Skin

With cold weather in full force, a lot of us are battling horribly itchy winter skin but there are a few easy ways to alleviate or at least reduce the discomfort.

I loathe being cold! It is seriously one of my biggest pet peeves and for a number of reasons. One being the god-awful winter itch. You know what I'm talking about - the itch that you just can't seem to scratch. There are a few things that you can do to ease the itch.

• Limit the time you spend outside and if you do have to go outside when it is cold, protect and cover your skin.
• Invest in a humidifier. Most newer homes are so well insulated and so efficient, that the furnace reduces the humidity in your home to almost nothing. Arid air will not only suck the moisture right out of your skin but it will actually make it feel colder. Adding humidity back into the air will benefit your skin, your sinuses and will make your home feel warmer so you can turn the thermostat down a few degrees and save your skin and some cash.
• Reduce the number of showers or baths and avoid extra hot water. Again, you want to avoid stripping the body of it's natural moisture. This would be a good time to switch to a moisturizing body wash as well.
• If you aren't one for using lotion, now is a good time to start. To rid yourself of winter itch, you've got to hydrate your skin.
• Speaking of hydrating - Making sure that you're drinking enough water will do more than you might think. No amount of moisturizers or lotions can take the place of hydrating from the inside out. A good rule of thumb is to take your weight and divide by 2. That is how many ounces of water you should be drinking in a day to stay hydrate. If you weigh 180 pounds, you would need approximately 90 ounces of water each day.