It seems that just about everyone gets a cold during the winter. Not feeling up to par in the holiday season is bad enough, but the effects are sometimes seen for weeks afterwards on our skin. Although a runny nose and cough are part of the natural immune response to a cold bacteria or virus and help us get better faster, if you’re not replenishing that liquid and guarding against unnecessary moisture loss, chances are you’ll become dehydrated.
Unfortunately, the first visible sign of dehydration will probably be dry skin. How can you avoid the dry skin of winter sniffles? Thousands of doctors now recommend a shielding lotion for dry skin care, but you should also understand what your body is going through.
Why does the body secrete excess fluid when we have a cold? The fluid has two functions: First, it provides a vehicle to expel the bacteria or virus and, second, it coats the membranes of the nasal passages, airways and lungs to prevent further absorption that may cause further illness. Although we may perceive the excess fluid as the problem, it is actually the body’s solution.
However, the excessive moisture loss also causes dry skin.
How do you prevent dry skin when you have a cold?
The first step, of course, is to get rid of the cold as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, that generally means letting the illness run its course without using cold remedies. Many cold remedies actually inhibit the production of the excess fluids and, without this natural immune system response, it will take longer to get better.
So, if you can cope with the symptoms, chances are you’ll get rid of your cold faster – which is not only better for you and more convenient, you will be less apt to develop dry skin.
Second, ensure you drink plenty of water so you replace lost fluids.
Third, protect the body from other, unnecessary, types of water loss.
How do you do that?
As more moisture is lost through the skin than through any other part of the body, preventing water loss through the skin is the most effective way of keeping the body hydrated. Thousands of doctors are now recommending a shielding lotion to do just that. A good shielding lotion bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a protective layer that prevents moisture loss.
In fact, a Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) study found that shielding lotion increases the protective layer formation properties by more than 50 percent within an hour of application.
In addition to prohibiting moisture loss, a shielding lotion has another major benefit: the same protective layer that locks in moisture also prevents the absorption of bacteria that could make your illness worse.
If a cold hits you this holiday season, double up on both the drinking water and the shielding lotion. You may get rid of your cold faster, and prevent dry skin. Give it a try!
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