To prevent your skin from pre-mature ageing due to drying, dehydrating, and losing its sheen in winters, take the route that will work inside out instead of offering a quick fix solution.
Our skin bears the brunt of climatic changes which can be very harsh and cause a permanent damage to it. And winters, the cold and dry season plays havoc on the best of skins. Lack of humidity outdoor + modern indoor heating systems take moisture off your skin and aggravate dryness. Some people are genetically prone to dryness during winter months. Other causes of dry skin are nutritional deficiencies & poor diet, extreme weather conditions, (very) hot water bathing, harsh chemicals in cosmetics & soaps, swimming in chlorinated water etc. Hypothyroidism, diabetes, eczema, psoriases, seborrhoea, side effects of medicines etc can also cause dryness in the skin.
Dry & rough skin develops scales, cracks and wrinkles which not only makes you appear aged but also deteriorates the quality (read texture) of your skin. Microbes that develop in cracked skin cause fungal infection. If dry skin is left unattended, it can lead to dry eczema.
As per Ayurveda, dry skin affects people with Vata Dosha. When Vata Dosha increases, Kapha Dosha reduces, which keeps your skin hydrated. Factors that lead to increased Vata are cold weather, irregular food (timings as well as types of food, like too spicy, too dry etc) & sleeping habits, mental stress, controlling natural urges like bowel cleaning, urination, hunger, thirst etc.
Ayurveda suggests oil massage with Vata balancing herbs & drinking 9-10 glasses of warm water every day, drinking herbal tea, avoiding cold weather, stale or fried food; sitting close to fire, etc.
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