Winter can be unkind to the skin, even more so when wearing a mask. Dermatologist Dr Lauren Knight and oral hygienist Dirna Grobbelaar share expert advice on how to protect the skin and prevent a chapped nose and lips during colder times of the year.
Winter is traditionally the season that takes the greatest toll on the nose and lips – with dry air, cooler weather and colds or flu causing redness and inflammation. Wearing a mask for extended periods can exacerbate the situation. Wearing masks for prolonged periods has been shown to cause cheilitis – dry, cracked lips – in healthcare workers.
Cape Town-based dermatologist, Dr Lauren Knight, shared several ways to protect the skin and lips when cooler air, low humidity and colds or ‘flu can leave them feeling drier, rougher, less supple and more susceptible to damage.
7 ways to protect your skin and lips this winter
- Choose the right type of mask. Light cotton or silk create less friction and are less likely to irritate the skin.
- Stay hydrated. Increased humidity under the mask increases water loss, resulting in dry, cracked lips. And you may find you drink less frequently when you wear a mask.
- Protect your lips with a lubricating barrier that helps lock natural moisturisers in your lips. Apply regularly.
- Avoid licking your lips. When the saliva evaporates it takes the moisture out of the lips.
- Gently exfoliate weekly to increase cell turnover and eliminate dead skin without upsetting the balance of natural oils.
- Apply lip balm overnight when the body is focused on recovery and regeneration.
- Avoid matte lipsticks which can aggravate chapped lips.
If you’re unsure which lip products are best, Dr Knight says that any moisturising balm can help protect the skin, and recommends one that contains petroleum jelly, castor oil, shea or cocoa butter and vitamin E.
If you do happen to catch a cold or ‘flu be gentle when wiping your nose. “Use extra-soft tissues, ideally containing Aloe vera, calendula or vitamin E, not kitchen towel or serviettes,” says Dirna Grobbelaar, Ivohealth’s oral hygiene advisor. “Gently blot, rather than rubbing or wiping.” Grobbelaar uses Letibalm on her patients and her children, the only balm formulated specifically for the nose and lips in South Africa.
For more advice visit the Ivohealth blog.