Even if your home spot isn’t quite this cold, winter can still be brutal on your skin. Photo: Ben Currie.
Every surfer knows the feeling. It’s an early morning session, and you paddle out just as the sun is beginning to peak over the horizon. The offshore winds are howling. You duck dive that first, icy wave. Then, as soon as you reach the lineup your face begins to sting unbearably, and there’s nothing you can do. Winter is here, and it’s wreaking havoc on your skin. Although the salty environment is a difficult one to combat, there are a couple things you can do to try to minimize the drying effects of winter on your skin. Give the following list a shot, and help your skin fight off winter dryness.
Take Warm Showers
Not hot. Even though you might be tempted to take as hot a shower as possible after a chilly morning surf, make an effort to back off the heat a little bit. Extremely hot water can inflame the skin, and it messes with your skin’s natural balance. It can deplete the natural oils, proteins, and fats that lock in moisture and protect your skin from damage.
Shorten Showers
This one might be even more difficult. Try to keep your showers within the 5-10-minute range to prevent warm water from drying out skin. Even though you might be tempted to draw out your shower after a chilly surf, ten minutes is plenty long to shampoo and condition. If this length of shower doesn’t fully thaw you out, try drinking tea before or after your shower to help you warm up from the inside.
Use Gentle, Unscented Skincare Products
Every additional ingredient in your lotion or moisturizer offers an opportunity for irritation. Try to stick to the most basic products you can find. Skip the scents and additives, and instead look for moisturizers that work to achieve one goal: to moisturize.
Drink Plenty of Water
Help your skin hydrate from the inside out. Summer’s heat has come and gone, and now that you’re not as aware of you thirst, it’s far easier to cut back on how much water you consume each day. Make a conscious effort to keep a reusable bottle handy, and always place it on your desk at work. Just keeping it within an arm’s reach will encourage you to drink those recommended 2 liters per day.
Don’t Shy From the Sun
Consider taking a lunchtime walk or getting outside midday if you feel like you haven’t been getting enough sunlight. Lack of Vitamin D has been known to cause skin dryness. Now that the days are shorter, your sunrise/sunset surfs before/after work might not be providing you with the Vitamin D you need to keep skin healthy.
Slap on the Dead Sea Salt
Try skincare products that incorporate Dead Sea Salt. It’s thought that this salt can work wonders for the skin because of its high concentration of magnesium. Magnesium salts have been shown to replenish water-absorbing skin cells and increase skin elasticity.
Eat Healthy Fats
Consuming the healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, avocados, flax, and olive oil can help the skin replenish its natural oils. Research suggests that these fats may help reduce inflammation and sun sensitivity.
