Is winter giving you dry skin?
Have you noticed your skin is dryer and flakier in the winter months? Moisturising helps but you also need to increase how you moisturise your body from the inside.
Drink more water:
Skin dryness in winter can be a sign of hydration, so drinking more water for adequate hydration is a must. You may prefer drinking some warm water or including some herbal teas to support hydration, as many find drinking enough water in winter to be a challenge.
Increase foods that moisturise:
By increasing foods that moisturise from the inside out really helps. Optimal essential fatty acid levels are vital in maintaining a healthy skin barrier function. Start by working to increase them in the diet with omega 3 rich fish eg. salmon (wild caught preferred) & sardines, chia, flax & hemp seeds.
Omega 6 & 9 are more easily obtained if eating a healthy wholefood diet including nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil & avocado.
Do be aware that relying on plant sources of omega 3 alone may not be adequate as omega 3 in plant foods can be challenging for the body to convert into the active forms found in oily fish. Omega 3 supplementation is a consideration for those that don’t eat enough oily fish regularly or follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. Fortunately at Peninsular Herbal Dispensary, we have vegan algae based omega 3 supplements available alongside high quality fish oil.
If you are interested in having your Omega 3 status assessed, Omega Quant is a validated test that can be performed in clinic – get in contact if you would like to know more.
Use a high quality natural moisturiser:
Use a high quality natural moisturiser all over most days, avoid long hot showers and consider a shower filter for sensitive dry skin or skin conditions eg. eczema.
For further information or to book a consultation with Amy online today contact the clinic on 03 5977 0117.
This article is intended to be informational only and represents the opinion of the author. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and does not take the place of advice from a qualified health care practitioner in a clinical setting. Please check with your healthcare practitioner before embarking upon any of the treatments discussed.