Initially, I was excited to be wearing winter coats, boots and bonnets while walking along still white-laden grounds. Snow hasn't fallen yet and I am already disliking winter. It's not only the eternal chill but also how the winter air affects my health. When the winter season started, my hair started to fall, my skin got flaky including my scalp, my mouth is always dry, my eyes are dry and I always seem to be on the verge of getting colds. But before all these get worse, I browse the net to treat these winter side effects.
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| girl with a flu photo credit: http://www.nmu.edu/healthcenter/node/14 |
Here are some helpful finds:
1. For dry skin: I always use lotion but with the winter weather, I got to use a lotion with extra moisturizing element. I am currently using Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme. It can be used for the face and all over the body. I apply it every night on my face before sleeping. Then I apply it on my hands as often as I can throughout the day. It keeps my skin from being dry. Bottom line: Moisturize as often as you can.
2. For dry scalp: Dry scalp leads to dandruff. I don't like seeing those minute white particles falling from my hair whenever I scratch. But I just can't help it. I stopped taking full baths daily. I only wet my hair every other day. I also bought a scalp shampoo and I tried applying olive oil on my hair once a week. I am not totally dandruff-free but they lessened to a considerable degree.
3. For dry mouth: For the lips, use a lip balm as often as you needed. I am never a fan of lip balms because they make my lips look oily but I find them soothing in the winter weather. Nivea Moisturizing Lip Balm relieves dry lips. Also, I doubled my water intake. I try to drink a glass of water every hour or more often.
4. For dry eyes: I learned that a temperature drop can dry the eyes causing it to be reddish. Eye drops are recommended for winter. I don't like to use eye drops so what I do is I place a warm cloth on my eyes in the morning at night. Sometimes I also do this in the afternoon. It helps my eyes stay fresh and the redness minimized.
5. For coughs and colds: Winter season is flu season. A dose of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So I diligently take my vitamins everyday. For some reason, my co-teachers here in Japan don't take Vitamin C. Taking Vitamins is not very common here I guess. That's why most of them have colds or cough. I am actually one of the very few teachers who hasn't catch a cold yet.
6. For over-all heath: Make yourself sweat. It's hard to sweat in winter time because of the cool temperature. But sweating is good for the body. It helps flush out toxins. Before I discover a nearby gym, I try to jog longer and faster just to make myself sweat. I move a lot even if I really feel lazy.
I believe in being in good health in whatever season. It is just more challenging to keep one's health during winter.
