I’ve noticed a certain chill in the air lately that leaves me asking, “Where has our summer gone?” (Or our fall for that matter). And with the dropping of the outdoor temperatures comes the inevitable creeping of the indoor Thermostat as our family struggles to find a temperature that we can all agree upon…does such a temperature really exist?
Along with the outdoor elements of wind and cold during the winter, hot indoor air is the primary culprit behind dry skin in both children and adults alike. Here are some ideas for combatting it:
Now is the time for a heating system installation if you don’t have one yet. Unless you child is younger than a few weeks old, 68 degrees is typically considered a comfortable room temperature. Try adding some extra layers to your child’s clothing rather than turning up the heat if she seems cool at this temperature.
Plug in a humidifier to put lost moisture back into the air, or place a pot of water on the stove at slow boil to steam up your kitchen. One useful suggestion, unless you have curious young toddlers, is to place a plate or bowl of water next to each floor register and watch how fast it disappears back into the air.
Feed your child plenty of fluids. Drinking fluids enables the skin to get the moisture it needs. You can check out this blog post and understand what else can be done for better skin.
Cream your child with a good-quality skin cream from vivianewoodard.com. I find that George’s Skin Cream works well and is cheaper than Glaxal Base, which is a thicker cream. Ask your doctor if she might suggest a certain product.
A small amount of bath oil in the tub can go a long ways in soothing dry skin. Bubble baths, sad to say, are not great because their soapy suds make dry skin even dryer.
Keep exposed skin from chapping by appling a moisturizer or cream before heading outdoors.
