Skin Care in the Winter

When the air outside is chilly and low on humidity and the air inside is heated and dry, you have a recipe for chapped skin and cracked lips, dermatologists say. To prevent scaling, flaking and itching, pay special attention to your skin during the cold months by applying a cream-based moisturizer every day, recommends Dr. Anjali Dahiya, a dermatologist at the Iris Cantor Women's Health Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

A good time to use moisturizer is just after showering to help trap moisture on the skin's surface. Those with sensitive skin should choose a moisturizer without fragrance or lanolin. And although frequent hand washing is often urged to prevent the spread of germs, all of that soap and water can also make hands chapped. Using a mild soap and moisturizing afterwards can help relieve the dryness, the experts say.

During bathing, stay away from very hot water. Take short, lukewarm showers or baths with a non-irritating, non-detergent-based cleanser, oatmeal or baking soda. Immediately afterward, apply oil or a petroleum jelly-type moisturizer and gently pat skin dry. Rinsing your body daily but using less soap can also help protect the skin's natural moisturizers.

To deal with dry air from heaters, add some moisture back into the air by using a humidifier, and don't forget to clean it often to prevent mold and fungus. If you don’t have a humidifier, place a pan of water next to your register.

If you are outside for periods of time, cover your face and use a petrolatum-based balm with an SPF for your lips. And, sunscreen isn't just for summertime. Winter sun -- combined with snow glare -- can still damage your skin. Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they're exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply frequently if you stay outside a long time.

Tanning beds are the leading cause of premature aging, and increase the risk of skin cancer. Instead, choose self-tanners with extra moisturizers, since some self-tanners can also dry out the skin.

The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands. That means it's harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking. Wear gloves when you go outside; if you need to wear wool to keep your hands warm, slip on a thin cotton glove first, to avoid any irritation the wool might cause. And don’t forget the feet. The feet sweat and dry out. Use a lotion with petroleum jelly or glycerin.

Take care of your skin this winter to keep it looking younger and healthy.

Do Roasted Peanuts Cause Acne?

Many people wonder what the active cause for acne to occur on an individual really is a result from and some folks even attribute it to roasted peanuts. The truth is acne, zits and blackheads can be caused from a variety of reasons. Your diet is really just one small piece of the acne causing problems. Other factors include exercise, cosmetics, diet, hormones, hygiene, medications, shaving and stress. For the subject of this article I’ll stick with the diet portion and how it can influence your resistance or encouragement of acne.

Studies show that diet does not play a role in either the cause or the treatment of acne. However, what is recommended for acne preventative care is a healthy diet along with a vitamin regiment that should prevent any sort of zit or blackhead outbreak. Here is a small list of healthy vitamins, minerals and other supplements that have been known and recommended to prevent and help conquer acne breakouts:

Vitamin A,
Vitamin B Complex,
Vitamin C,
Vitamin E, L-Carnitine and Zinc

In terms of diet the following measures can be taken with the hope of preventing an acne outbreak or at the very least minimizing further outbreaks of zits and blackheads. It’s recommended that you add more fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts to your regular diet. This can be accomplished by eating more salads, dried fruit and nut snacks and by drinking more juices.

It is recommended that you decrease your daily intake of caffeine, sugar and refined carbohydrates. There have been some clinical studies showing that caffeine can increase the levels of stress hormones inside your body, provoking or worsening acne conditions. This means you should cut back on your consumption of tea, coffee, chocolate and other beverages containing caffeine. The same advice goes for sugar and refined carbs. For instance white bread, rice, flour, and pasta can result in an insulin surge, resulting further in an excess of male hormones that stimulate skin to discharge lots of sebum, which in turn leads to clogged pores allowing bacteria to grow and acne to appear.

Finally it is also recommended that you decrease your dietary intake of red meat and dairy products. Since both are more difficult for our bodies to digest and some researchers say that when the body puts forth an increased effort in the digestion of high levels of animal protein, waste products are not completely processed as usual, instead they can shed slowly, blocking pores, causing acne.

Hopefully these few diet tips will help in your quest to stop the appearance of acne, zits and blackheads. And remember it hasn’t really been proven that roasted peanuts cause acne.