Changes in the weather can take their toll on your skin. Each season, the weather can irritate the skin in different ways. Below are tips for keeping skin as healthy as possible year round.
Winter
Especially in the winter, furnaces at home and work dry out the air, causing your skin to become uncomfortably tight and even flaky. Here are some tips on how to counteract severely dry skin.
- Use a gentle cleanser that dissolves easily with lukewarm water. An "extra-moisturizing" formula may help keep dryness under control.
- Use lip balm and sunblock with an SPF greater than 15.
- Drink plenty of water before you go out. Good hydration helps to regulate body heat, ultimately keeping you warm.
- Avoid extremely hot water temperatures in the bath or shower.
- Apply moisturizer or lotion while your skin is still damp to seal in your natural moisture.
- Be especially careful when skiing. The reflection of light off the snow dramatically increases the potential for skin damage.
 Summer
In the summer, exposure to the sun can be very dangerous to the skin, often causing cold sores to become more prevalent. Here are some tips to avoid serious damage.
- Extreme sun can trigger cold sores. In the summer, stay out of the sun especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
- Ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can trigger cold sores, are present even on cloudy days. So even when the sun is not especially bright, its rays can still damage the skin.
- When you can’t avoid being outdoors, shield your face from harsh sun with a hat, and always wear sunscreen.
- Apply a lip moisturizer that contains sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or greater.
- Be especially careful when boating. The reflection of light off the water dramatically increases the potential for skin damage.
Back to Coping with Cold Sores
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