Dry Skin?

Many people have trouble in the winter with dry skin. If you are affected by this, there are a few things you should understand. First, winter air is not dry...but heated air is very dry. Outside air in the winter is often very moist, but if you heat it, you increase its ability to carry water, so it becomes dry. A humidifier will help, but use of a humidifier has a downside - if too much humidity is put into the household air, especially if there are spots where it can penetrate insulation, a mold problem can result, so be cautious if you follow that route.

Our skin is kept moist by oils, like most animal oils, they are fairly hard oils. Many people who have trouble with skin dryness wash their hands with HOT water. I advocate use of lukewarm water. From the point of view of sanitation, it makes very little difference whether you wash in 100 degree water or 110 degree water (Fahrenheit). But, those few degrees make a big difference in softening your skin oil and allowing soap to strip it from your skin. So, one big step you can take is washing your hands in lukewarm, rather than hot, water.