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Dry, Itchy Skin in Winter


Medically reviewed by
  • Tomi Wall, M.D.

Question

What is the best way to deal with dry, itchy skin in the winter?

Answer

The best way to deal with dry itchy skin during the winter is to take the time to moisturize your skin daily and minimize hot showers. As the temperature drops, we start to take longer and hotter showers, which is actually detrimental to our skin.

I recommend keeping showers to less than 10 min, and to use lukewarm water. When you get out of the shower, pat dry and IMMEDIATELY apply a CREAM (not lotion) to your entire skin. There are now some with ceramides or oatmeal which are over the counter and very helpful for dry, itchy skin.

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