Athletes are a different breed of human. Cold weather doesn’t keep us from enjoying what we love.
Snow? Ice? Bring it on! We’ll be running, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and more.
Even though our mind is motivated to be outside during the winter, sometimes our body puts up a fight. Symptoms of being out in the cold can manifest in painful ways.
Your hands, feet, and even your face may get red, irritated, cracked, and start to bleed. Once this process starts, it can get painful fast and can become difficult to get rid of.
Ever wonder why this happens?
Cold, dry air strips away the natural layer of protective oils normally covering the skin, which leads to less moisture being contained within the skin.
Seen pictures of the Serengeti Desert when it dries out?
Your skin does pretty much the same thing when it’s void of moisture.
And athletes like us normally push ourselves more and spend more time outside, making us more susceptible to dry skin.
So how can you prevent this process, and treat it once it’s reared its ugly head?
Prevention
- Hand Washing – Limiting the number of times you wash your hands can keep your skin from drying out. Also, consider using cooler water as this aids in retaining moisture as well. Finally, pat dry instead of rubbing your hands dry. All of these handwashing tips will help your hands stay soft instead of dry and cracked.
- Water Intake – If you understand that the cause of your dry and cracked skin in the winter is due to lack of moisture in the skin, it makes sense that drinking more water will help to remedy the issue. Keep putting moisture in your body and you’ll be on the right track to warding off the painful cracking.
- Indoor Air Quality – During the winter, most households run a heater of some sort. Whether your home has forced air, you use space heaters, or you stay warm by using a wood-burning stove, all of these heating processes reduce the amount of moisture inside your home. When the air in your home is very dry, your skin also becomes dry. Solutions to this are using a humidifier in your home, or, if you have a wood-burning stove, placing a bowl of water on top of it so it releases moisture back into the air.
- Showering – Same as hand washing, if you think you may get dry, cracked skin during the winter, start reducing your shower time and making the temperature of your showers cooler. Again, pat dry instead of rubbing dry to allow some moisture to remain on your skin.
- Clothing – When heading outside for a workout or just to enjoy the day, make sure that your skin is covered by clothing as much as you can. If you keep your skin from being exposed to the cold, dry air, you’re less likely to experience the symptoms of dry, cracking skin.
Treatment
- Apply Prevention Techniques – If you do end up getting painful, dry, cracked skin during the winter, you can apply the prevention techniques listed above to keep it from getting worse.
- Sleep – Sleep is the time that your body repairs its cells. Allow yourself a sufficient night's sleep consistently, and your body will do its job of healing and returning oils and moisture to your skin.
- Topical Application – Creams and balms are used to bring moisture back to and keep moisture in the skin. Primarily creams are used for hydration, and balms are used for protecting skin from the elements and locking in existing moisture.
- Night Time Treatments – Want the topical treatments to have the best chance at repairing your skin? At night, after a shower, apply the balm to your hands and feet, then put socks and gloves on. By the time you wake up, the balm is all soaked in and your skin is holding much more moisture than it was before bed.
How Rocket Pure Can Help
- Rocket Pure Natural Hand and Foot Repair Balm – Our Natural Hand and Foot Balm is a treatment successfully used by many people with winter skin issues. The balm is made in the US of natural ingredients. There are no harsh chemicals or parabens in this, or any, of our products. The Hand and Foot Balm contains tea tree oil which is considered by some experts to have anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. This is the perfect product to put on at night with socks and gloves to restore and retain the moisture needed for healthy skin.
- Rocket Pure Natural Rugged Rescue Balm – Our natural Rugged Rescue Balm can be used on any damaged skin, as well as on any skin needing protection from the elements. The balm is made in the US of natural ingredients and with no parabens or harsh chemicals; just like all of the products in the Rocket Pure family. The balm contains Shea Butter, which acts as a moisturizer and. Shea Butter has important nutrients, vitamins and other phytonutrients in it required for skin improvement.
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