Dry winter skin – it’s itchy, flaky, and sometimes even painful. But did you know that it can also be a health risk?

Your skin serves a very important purpose: to protect your body from pathogens. All the germs and toxins in our environment would be even more harmful to us if our skin didn’t protect our bodies.

Dry skin doesn’t do its job at protecting us as well as healthy skin. Dr. Gary W. Cole, a dermatologist specializing in infectious diseases of the skin, explains:

A common complication of dry skin and itching is secondary bacterial infection. Infections may be mild and resolve spontaneously or may be more severe and necessitate antibiotic treatment. Severe itching leads to repeat scratching of lesions, hence the “itch-scratch-rash-itch” cycle [which delays healing].

While infections of the skin are problematic enough, what’s really alarming is that that they can often travel into the bloodstream and make it easier for other types of infections to take hold.

Staph infections are especially common. While they can be harmless in healthy adults, small children and those with underlying conditions like diabetes, blood disorders, malnutrition, and other illnesses can experience greater complications as a result of staph (and other) skin infections.

Because of the widespread prevalence of antibiotic resistance, preventing skin infections is important. Our main tips for keeping skin healthy are:

• Eat plenty of healthy fats, such as avocado and coconut oil.
• Drink water! Bonus points for squeezing a bit of lemon into it first thing in the morning.
• Avoid hot showers – we know they feel so good during the winter, but they strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to drier skin. For the same reason, be sure not to overuse soaps and cleansers.
• Nourish skin. skin solution® is packed with nutrient-dense oils that replenish moisture. It’s like superfood for your skin!