NYTimes article: Help Skin Survive a Cruel Season

ell, I usually stay in the great world of lukerdom, but I thought that
this article was worthy delurking for a second. It's from today's
NYTimes edition. I realize it may be no news for some, but still...
small contribuition after learning so much from posts here.
Raquel – back to lurkerdom
Skin Deep
Help Skin Survive a Cruel Season
By NATASHA SINGER
Published: January 5, 2006
WHEN the arctic air of winter makes faces red, itchy and flaky, beauty
companies are ready with exotic and often expensive solutions. Products
like Murad Winter Hydration Set ($50), Clarins Thirst Quenching
Hydra–Care Serum ($50) and Chanel Hydramax + Serum Intense Moisture
Boost ($65) promise to drench parched skin in water and coat it with
lubricants.
Lonnie Dupre, a polar explorer from Grand Marais, Minn., uses Dermatone
to protect his mouth when he's outdoors.
But there are less–expensive ways to protect the skin from winter air.
Inhabitants of some of the coldest places on earth, who are well
accustomed to the season's harsh effects, often rely on cheaper,
simpler solutions.
In Grise Fiord, Northwest Territories, where the sun sets in October
and doesn't rise again until February, and the winter temperature
rarely rises above 16 below, the most reliable skin protection system
is outerwear: a wool scarf, a thick hat, warm mittens and a down parka.
"When I go outside, I put on a parka that has a hood lined with fur,"
said Ray Richer, the general manager of the Grise Fiord Inuit Co–op.
"You pull that around your face, and that saves your skin." At latitude
76 degrees North – about 960 miles from the North Pole – Grise Fiord is
the northernmost community in Canada. The temperature there last week
was minus 29 degrees.
If it gets any colder, Mr. Richer also insulates his skin with lotion.
"What with my delicate skin, when it gets down to minus 70 degrees and
I need a little extra protection, I put Dove body lotion on my face at
night," Mr. Richer said. "It's simple, but it works."
Mr. Richer and other veterans of harsh weather – like skiers, winter
runners and dermatologists who practice in cold climates – say that
simple moisturizing products are best at keeping skin from getting dry,
flaky and irritated because they are denser and more durable than
expensive creams and therefore can provide greater and longer–lasting
protection. And winter experts also have ways of keeping skin from
drying out in the first place.
"In the old days the Inuit never took baths because they were afraid of
washing off the natural oils which protected their faces from
frostbite," said Lonnie Dupre, a polar explorer who lives in Grand
Marais, Minn., near the Canadian border. He plans to cross the Arctic
Ocean this April in a white–water canoe. "If you can bring yourself to
bathe less often, you can keep the natural protective lanolins on your
face."
It is not the cold itself, but the dryness it brings to the air, that
parches the skin, breaking down its natural protective layer of dead
cells. Made of both proteins and fats, this layer, called the stratum
corneum, forms an oily coating that usually helps to keep moisture in
the skin. When it dries out, the skin is more vulnerable to the
elements, slower to heal from injuries, and more prone to flaking and
cracking.
"Cold winter air that blows in from the Arctic holds less water than
very humid tropical summer air," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist
at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. Colder air, he
explained, cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air can, so it is
drier. "Then we pipe that dry air inside our apartments and heat it up,
making the already dry air even drier." The heat causes the air
molecules to expand, so you end up with even less moisture in a room
than before, he said.
Humidifying indoor air is one way to help maintain healthy skin,
dermatologists say.
"Faces are just like wooden furniture, which dries out in the winter
and becomes fragile and gets unglued if the air is too dry," said Dr.
Ann Lott, a dermatologist in Lincoln, Neb. "A humidifier works for
both."
To help retain moisture, dermatologists also recommend avoiding
scalding showers and harsh soaps, which can strip away the oily layer.
"If you use lukewarm water instead of boiling water and a soap with
moisturizing agents like Dove or Olay, those two things alone may be
enough to keep your skin in shape for the winter," said Dr. Jerome M.
Garden, a dermatologist in Chicago, where last week the temperature
hovered around 31 degrees. The idea is to keep bacteria and other
irritants out of the skin and hold water in, Dr. Garden said, "keeping
cells as plump and protected as possible."
Dr. Brian D. Zelickson, a dermatologist in Minneapolis, recommends
adding a little fragrance–free oil like RoBathol (sold in drugstores)
to bath water for increased hydration. After a bath or shower, he said,
it is better to gently pat yourself dry than to rub and buff the skin
with the towel. Then, he said, "While you still have water droplets on
your skin, you can coat yourself with a humectant to seal the moisture
in." Basic moisturizers like Aveeno or Purpose work well, he said. "But
you could also use a little olive oil or Crisco."
Dr. Lott's favorite winter moisturizer is the original Nivea Creme.
"That's the grand old one that your grandmother used," she said. "There
are newer, fancier products with faddish ingredients like vitamins, soy
and green tea, but Nivea has stood the test of time." Dr. Lott uses
Nivea or Vaseline to coat her skin when she is running marathons in
cold weather.
Hannah Hardaway, a former Olympic freestyle mogul skier who has taken
up extreme backcountry skiing in Park City, Utah, has learned the
importance of skin protection the hard way: by suffering frostbite on
her nose three times.
"It's really gross," said Ms. Hardaway, who spends up to five hours a
day skiing when the snow conditions are to her liking. "Your skin
scabs, turns brown and peels off for a few weeks." Now she uses Kiehl's
All–Sport "Non–Freeze" Face Protector SPF 30, which coats the face in a
layer of beeswax and castor oil. "Kiehl's is a wind stopper that
prevents your skin from chapping."
Kristina Joder Casey, a former Olympic cross–country ski racer who
coaches junior teams in Boise, Idaho, prefers Dermatone, made with
beeswax and lanolin, to shield her face from windburn; it is sold at
sporting goods stores like REI and Eastern Mountain Sports. "You have
to put it all over your face, including your ears, or you can get frost
nip," Ms. Casey said. (Frost nip is a superficial freezing of the skin
that is a precursor to frostbite.) "And make sure your hat covers your
ears."
Oil–based products like Dermatone work well for winter sports because
they won't freeze. On the other han

i Raquel
Thanks for posting this.
Audrey


"Raquel" <raaque...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1136467759.370221.99...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Well, I usually stay in the great world of lukerdom, but I thought that
this article was worthy delurking for a second. It's from today's
NYTimes edition. I realize it may be no news for some, but still...
small contribuition after learning so much from posts here.
Raquel – back to lurkerdom
Skin Deep
Help Skin Survive a Cruel Season
By NATASHA SINGER
Published: January 5, 2006
WHEN the arctic air of winter makes faces red, itchy and flaky, beauty
companies are ready with exotic and often expensive solutions. Products
like Murad Winter Hydration Set ($50), Clarins Thirst Quenching
Hydra–Care Serum ($50) and Chanel Hydramax + Serum Intense Moisture
Boost ($65) promise to drench parched skin in water and coat it with
lubricants.
Lonnie Dupre, a polar explorer from Grand Marais, Minn., uses Dermatone
to protect his mouth when he's outdoors.
But there are less–expensive ways to protect the skin from winter air.
Inhabitants of some of the coldest places on earth, who are well
accustomed to the season's harsh effects, often rely on cheaper,
simpler solutions.
In Grise Fiord, Northwest Territories, where the sun sets in October
and doesn't rise again until February, and the winter temperature
rarely rises above 16 below, the most reliable skin protection system
is outerwear: a wool scarf, a thick hat, warm mittens and a down parka.
"When I go outside, I put on a parka that has a hood lined with fur,"
said Ray Richer, the general manager of the Grise Fiord Inuit Co–op.
"You pull that around your face, and that saves your skin." At latitude
76 degrees North – about 960 miles from the North Pole – Grise Fiord is
the northernmost community in Canada. The temperature there last week
was minus 29 degrees.
If it gets any colder, Mr. Richer also insulates his skin with lotion.
"What with my delicate skin, when it gets down to minus 70 degrees and
I need a little extra protection, I put Dove body lotion on my face at
night," Mr. Richer said. "It's simple, but it works."
Mr. Richer and other veterans of harsh weather – like skiers, winter
runners and dermatologists who practice in cold climates – say that
simple moisturizing products are best at keeping skin from getting dry,
flaky and irritated because they are denser and more durable than
expensive creams and therefore can provide greater and longer–lasting
protection. And winter experts also have ways of keeping skin from
drying out in the first place.
"In the old days the Inuit never took baths because they were afraid of
washing off the natural oils which protected their faces from
frostbite," said Lonnie Dupre, a polar explorer who lives in Grand
Marais, Minn., near the Canadian border. He plans to cross the Arctic
Ocean this April in a white–water canoe. "If you can bring yourself to
bathe less often, you can keep the natural protective lanolins on your
face."
It is not the cold itself, but the dryness it brings to the air, that
parches the skin, breaking down its natural protective layer of dead
cells. Made of both proteins and fats, this layer, called the stratum
corneum, forms an oily coating that usually helps to keep moisture in
the skin. When it dries out, the skin is more vulnerable to the
elements, slower to heal from injuries, and more prone to flaking and
cracking.
"Cold winter air that blows in from the Arctic holds less water than
very humid tropical summer air," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist
at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. Colder air, he
explained, cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air can, so it is
drier. "Then we pipe that dry air inside our apartments and heat it up,
making the already dry air even drier." The heat causes the air
molecules to expand, so you end up with even less moisture in a room
than before, he said.
Humidifying indoor air is one way to help maintain healthy skin,
dermatologists say.
"Faces are just like wooden furniture, which dries out in the winter
and becomes fragile and gets unglued if the air is too dry," said Dr.
Ann Lott, a dermatologist in Lincoln, Neb. "A humidifier works for
both."
To help retain moisture, dermatologists also recommend avoiding
scalding showers and harsh soaps, which can strip away the oily layer.
"If you use lukewarm water instead of boiling water and a soap with
moisturizing agents like Dove or Olay, those two things alone may be
enough to keep your skin in shape for the winter," said Dr. Jerome M.
Garden, a dermatologist in Chicago, where last week the temperature
hovered around 31 degrees. The idea is to keep bacteria and other
irritants out of the skin and hold water in, Dr. Garden said, "keeping
cells as plump and protected as possible."
Dr. Brian D. Zelickson, a dermatologist in Minneapolis, recommends
adding a little fragrance–free oil like RoBathol (sold in drugstores)
to bath water for increased hydration. After a bath or shower, he said,
it is better to gently pat yourself dry than to rub and buff the skin
with the towel. Then, he said, "While you still have water droplets on
your skin, you can coat yourself with a humectant to seal the moisture
in." Basic moisturizers like Aveeno or Purpose work well, he said. "But
you could also use a little olive oil or Crisco."
Dr. Lott's favorite winter moisturizer is the original Nivea Creme.
"That's the grand old one that your grandmother used," she said. "There
are newer, fancier products with faddish ingredients like vitamins, soy
and green tea, but Nivea has stood the test of time." Dr. Lott uses
Nivea or Vaseline to coat her skin when she is running marathons in
cold weather.
Hannah Hardaway, a former Olympic freestyle mogul skier who has taken
up extreme backcountry skiing in Park City, Utah, has learned the
importance of skin protection the hard way: by suffering frostbite on
her nose three times.
"It's really gross," said Ms. Hardaway, who spends up to five hours a
day skiing when the snow conditions are to her liking. "Your skin
scabs, turns brown and peels off for a few weeks." Now she uses Kiehl's
All–Sport "Non–Freeze" Face Protector SPF 30, which coats the face in a
layer of beeswax and castor oil. "Kiehl's is a wind stopper that
prevents your skin from chapping."
Kristina Joder Casey, a former Olympic cross–country ski racer who
coaches junior teams in Boise, Idaho, prefers Dermatone, made with
beeswax and lanolin, to shield her face from windburn; it is sold at
sporting goods stores like REI and Eastern Mountain Sports. "You have
to put it all over your face, including your ears, or you can get frost
nip," Ms. Casey said. (Frost nip is a superficial freezing of the skin
that is a precursor to fros

reat article!


"Raquel" <raaque...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1136467759.370221.99...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Well, I usually stay in the great world of lukerdom, but I thought that
this article was worthy delurking for a second. It's from today's
NYTimes edition. I realize it may be no news for some, but still...
small contribuition after learning so much from posts here.
Raquel – back to lurkerdom
Skin Deep
Help Skin Survive a Cruel Season
By NATASHA SINGER
Published: January 5, 2006
WHEN the arctic air of winter makes faces red, itchy and flaky, beauty
companies are ready with exotic and often expensive solutions. Products
like Murad Winter Hydration Set ($50), Clarins Thirst Quenching
Hydra–Care Serum ($50) and Chanel Hydramax + Serum Intense Moisture
Boost ($65) promise to drench parched skin in water and coat it with
lubricants.
Lonnie Dupre, a polar explorer from Grand Marais, Minn., uses Dermatone
to protect his mouth when he's outdoors.
But there are less–expensive ways to protect the skin from winter air.
Inhabitants of some of the coldest places on earth, who are well
accustomed to the season's harsh effects, often rely on cheaper,
simpler solutions.
In Grise Fiord, Northwest Territories, where the sun sets in October
and doesn't rise again until February, and the winter temperature
rarely rises above 16 below, the most reliable skin protection system
is outerwear: a wool scarf, a thick hat, warm mittens and a down parka.
"When I go outside, I put on a parka that has a hood lined with fur,"
said Ray Richer, the general manager of the Grise Fiord Inuit Co–op.
"You pull that around your face, and that saves your skin." At latitude
76 degrees North – about 960 miles from the North Pole – Grise Fiord is
the northernmost community in Canada. The temperature there last week
was minus 29 degrees.
If it gets any colder, Mr. Richer also insulates his skin with lotion.
"What with my delicate skin, when it gets down to minus 70 degrees and
I need a little extra protection, I put Dove body lotion on my face at
night," Mr. Richer said. "It's simple, but it works."
Mr. Richer and other veterans of harsh weather – like skiers, winter
runners and dermatologists who practice in cold climates – say that
simple moisturizing products are best at keeping skin from getting dry,
flaky and irritated because they are denser and more durable than
expensive creams and therefore can provide greater and longer–lasting
protection. And winter experts also have ways of keeping skin from
drying out in the first place.
"In the old days the Inuit never took baths because they were afraid of
washing off the natural oils which protected their faces from
frostbite," said Lonnie Dupre, a polar explorer who lives in Grand
Marais, Minn., near the Canadian border. He plans to cross the Arctic
Ocean this April in a white–water canoe. "If you can bring yourself to
bathe less often, you can keep the natural protective lanolins on your
face."
It is not the cold itself, but the dryness it brings to the air, that
parches the skin, breaking down its natural protective layer of dead
cells. Made of both proteins and fats, this layer, called the stratum
corneum, forms an oily coating that usually helps to keep moisture in
the skin. When it dries out, the skin is more vulnerable to the
elements, slower to heal from injuries, and more prone to flaking and
cracking.
"Cold winter air that blows in from the Arctic holds less water than
very humid tropical summer air," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist
at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. Colder air, he
explained, cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air can, so it is
drier. "Then we pipe that dry air inside our apartments and heat it up,
making the already dry air even drier." The heat causes the air
molecules to expand, so you end up with even less moisture in a room
than before, he said.
Humidifying indoor air is one way to help maintain healthy skin,
dermatologists say.
"Faces are just like wooden furniture, which dries out in the winter
and becomes fragile and gets unglued if the air is too dry," said Dr.
Ann Lott, a dermatologist in Lincoln, Neb. "A humidifier works for
both."
To help retain moisture, dermatologists also recommend avoiding
scalding showers and harsh soaps, which can strip away the oily layer.
"If you use lukewarm water instead of boiling water and a soap with
moisturizing agents like Dove or Olay, those two things alone may be
enough to keep your skin in shape for the winter," said Dr. Jerome M.
Garden, a dermatologist in Chicago, where last week the temperature
hovered around 31 degrees. The idea is to keep bacteria and other
irritants out of the skin and hold water in, Dr. Garden said, "keeping
cells as plump and protected as possible."
Dr. Brian D. Zelickson, a dermatologist in Minneapolis, recommends
adding a little fragrance–free oil like RoBathol (sold in drugstores)
to bath water for increased hydration. After a bath or shower, he said,
it is better to gently pat yourself dry than to rub and buff the skin
with the towel. Then, he said, "While you still have water droplets on
your skin, you can coat yourself with a humectant to seal the moisture
in." Basic moisturizers like Aveeno or Purpose work well, he said. "But
you could also use a little olive oil or Crisco."
Dr. Lott's favorite winter moisturizer is the original Nivea Creme.
"That's the grand old one that your grandmother used," she said. "There
are newer, fancier products with faddish ingredients like vitamins, soy
and green tea, but Nivea has stood the test of time." Dr. Lott uses
Nivea or Vaseline to coat her skin when she is running marathons in
cold weather.
Hannah Hardaway, a former Olympic freestyle mogul skier who has taken
up extreme backcountry skiing in Park City, Utah, has learned the
importance of skin protection the hard way: by suffering frostbite on
her nose three times.
"It's really gross," said Ms. Hardaway, who spends up to five hours a
day skiing when the snow conditions are to her liking. "Your skin
scabs, turns brown and peels off for a few weeks." Now she uses Kiehl's
All–Sport "Non–Freeze" Face Protector SPF 30, which coats the face in a
layer of beeswax and castor oil. "Kiehl's is a wind stopper that
prevents your skin from chapping."
Kristina Joder Casey, a former Olympic cross–country ski racer who
coaches junior teams in Boise, Idaho, prefers Dermatone, made with
beeswax and lanolin, to shield her face from windburn; it is sold at
sporting goods stores like REI and Eastern Mountain Sports. "You have
to put it all over your face, including your ears, or you can get frost
nip," Ms. Casey said. (Frost nip is a superficial freezing of the skin
that is a precursor to frostbite.) "And make sure your ha