Fall and winter are notoriously dry in Calgary. You can often hear about how people are experiencing dry hands and eyes, eczema flares, and constantly needing to put lotion on. This is a thing we just accept living in Calgary. However, did you know that you could support your skin, so it doesn’t have to feel the dryness that comes every fall through winter?
There are some healthy oils, and vitamins you can be taking to support your body through the fall and winter to keep them nice and hydrated. I’m sure you’ve heard of fish oil by now, and yes, that is one of the healthy oils I’m talking about. Healthy oils are important for you to be taking regularly during this time (and maybe a month before) to maintain the integrity of your cellular membranes. Cellular membranes are made up of fats, these fat produce a boundary that keeps your organelles where they need to be (inside your cells). This boundary is fluid, and moves. If you eat saturated fats, the fluidity of your cell is disrupted, and it isn’t able to operate like it can when it is able to move as needed. This is where the healthy fats come in: fish oil, olive oil, evening primrose oil, GLA oil, etc. The one I generally recommend is fish oil, along with suggesting you use olive oil in your salad dressings.
So now you have a strong, fluid cell membrane. That’s great! But is it nice and plump and hydrated? This is where making sure you are well-hydrated comes into play. Being well-hydrated keeps your cells working optimally, and allows them to eliminate waste effectively. Imagine working in a cramped factory, where you can hardly move. That is similar to what it would be like working in your cell if you aren’t hydrated. So make sure you are drinking your water, especially during this time. You can check if you are well hydrated by looking at the colour of your urine - is it clear, pale yellow, or dark yellow? The goal is to have pale yellow urine. Note: If you are taking a B Complex, your urine will always be dark yellow.
Moisturizing as soon as you are finished with your shower is a quick and easy way to lock in the hydration. Otherwise, your skin will feel dry afterwards, because the water on your skin is evaporating, stripping your skin of moisture. You can either use a lotion or oil (I like to use olive oil with some lavender essential oil when my skin is really dry).
Lastly, a good B Complex can also help keep the integrity of your skin. The different vitamins do different things, but together, they work together to work on a number of things in your body (I also recommend this to patients for an energy boost). Vitamin B1 can be helpful for irritated, acne prone or dry skin, whereas vitamin B2 can help improve your skin tone (fun fact: this is the vitamin that causes your urine to be neon yellow). Vitamin B3 helps your skin retain moisture and prevent water loss. Vitamin B5 also helps to retain the moisture of your skin, as well as helps to heal wounds. Vitamin B7 (aka biotin) is known to be helpful for your hair, skin and nails. Vitamins B9 and 12 help your red blood cells, which are essential for delivering nutrients and oxygen to your whole body. Remember that B Complexes will turn your urine dark yellow, so if you are dehydrated, understand what your body feels like when it’s hydrated, then start to incorporate a B Complex.
This fall, see for yourself how these can help your skin feel much better and more hydrated. Share below if you have other things you do for yourself to keep your skin hydrated during the fall and winter.
~ Dr. Charmagne