web1_PennyAuction.jpg

St. Joseph Marello Parish to hold Penny Auction

web1_AP18064624915276.jpg

Ride-hailing companies may be the cure to medical transportation woes

<p>Have you had enough of winter yet?</p><p>I bet your skin has. Along with the cold, ice, snow and wind, the air in winter is typically dry and that can make your skin feel itchy and irritated. So you have to work harder to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.</p><p>The humidity levels drop when cold air moves into an area; this strips the moisture from your skin. And unfortunately, cranking the heat up at home won&#8217;t help. No matter what type of heat you have, the warm, dry air can also leave your skin feeling parched. I have this electronic weather station at home that includes both an outdoor sensor to read temperature, humidity and wind speed, and an internal monitor that senses temperature and humidity indoors. Sometimes I&#8217;m shocked to see the indoor humidity down into the 20 percent range. No wonder the plants are sucking up water!</p><p>Instead of suffering through the winter with itchy, dry and even painful cracked skin, you can do some simple things to keep your skin feeling smooth and moisturized.</p><p><strong>Avoid hot showers and harsh cleansers</strong></p><p>When you wake up in the morning or come in from the cold, it may be tempting to take a hot shower or bath, but hot water can make your skin dry and itchy.</p><p>Turn down the dial in your shower so the water is lukewarm, not hot, and use a gentle soap with moisturizer built in. Avoid cleansers that contain alcohol and fragrances, and moisturize right after you get out of the shower or bath.</p><p>If you wear makeup, you may also want to change up your routine to include a cold cream moisturizer for makeup removal, rather than other makeup removers that also include alcohol.</p><p><strong>Moisturize early and often</strong></p><p>Speaking of moisturizing, ointments and creams can help keep your skin feeling soft longer than lighter moisturizing lotions. Ointments are typically oil-based, rather than water-based, and will create a protective layer on top of the skin to hold moisture in.</p><p>Apply moisturizer after you get out of the shower or bath, and reapply often to limit the effects of dry skin.</p><p><strong>Bundle up</strong></p><p>When you step outside in the blustery winter weather, make sure your skin is covered &#8212; especially your hands.</p><p>Your hands often become dry and irritated before other parts of your body and can even crack from the dry air, in part because of frequent hand washing. When you go out, be sure to wear a good pair of gloves that will keep your hands warm. If wool gloves make your hands itchy, you can add a layer with a thin cotton glove on your skin.</p><p><strong>Don&#8217;t wear cold socks and gloves</strong></p><p>If you&#8217;re building a snowman in your backyard, sledding down a hill in the neighborhood, or skiing and tubing on the slopes, your gloves and socks might end up wet.</p><p>Cold, wet gloves and socks can make your skin red and itchy, so be sure to take them off as soon as you get inside.</p><p><strong>Use a humidifier</strong></p><p>During the winter months, you can easily add moisture to the air with a humidifier.</p><p>Your central heating system and even your fireplace will make you feel nice and warm, but they&#8217;re not doing anything good for your skin. A humidifier can help to add moisture back into the air, which will help keep skin itchiness and irritation to a minimum.</p><p>Hopefully the weather will start to ease up soon and our spirits as well as our skin will get a break, but in the meantime, moisturize &#8212; and water the plants more often.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_casale_edit.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_casale_edit.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Alfred Casale</p><p>To Your Health</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Dr. Alfred Casale, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is Associate Chief Medical Officer for Geisinger Health and Chair of the Geisinger Cardiac Institute. Readers may write to him via ae@www.timesleader.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

To Your Health: How to maintain healthy skin in the elements of winter