Happy new every one and welcome to my space, although this is my first post on the #med-hive community, i'm glad yo have come across this wonderful community on the blockchain, that helps remind us on how to take good care of our health.
Following the new prompt for the week which highlighted skin health, how do we take care of our skin, for this post, I will be enlightening us on how to care for our skin during the harmattan season as it is currently unto us.
In my part of the world, Nigeria precisely, the harmattan season is usually expected with the holiday season at the end of the year also into the new year, it usually puts us in the mood of Christmas and new year, just like some part of the world experience Snow/winter this time of the year.
Harmattan is characterized by cold, dryness, wind and dust it can also be accompanied by a very scorching sun, all this combination can be very daunting on our skin, even on the inside, as the dust can cause cattarh. As for our skin, dryness can be order of the day, also dehydration follows up, we tend to notice dry and chapped lips, heels and palms, even our hair is not left out, yea, its that intense.
So how do we take care of our skin during harmattan and still get to enjoy the seasons goodness?
- Stay hydrated
Drinking enough water cannot be over emphasised, especially during harmattan, as the dryness and scorching sun tends to dehydrate us faster, so its best for us to drink enough water as much as possible, it has been stated many times that water helps to flush out toxins from the body,it also helps our skin maintains its suppleness.
2.Moisturize Regularly
For me, I prefer moisturizing with natural oils like Shea butter, coconut oil etc as they have more lasting effect and are easily absorbed into the skin, they also have no side effects, some studies also show that they contain antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties and as such helps the skin in prevention. make sure to moisturize all body parts especially after bath, also pay close attention to the lips (lip balms can be used too), heels and palms as these area of the body are mostly exposed and receive the intensity of the harmattan the more, just try to get them mosturized frequently.
3.Don't expose the skin
Its best to wear body covering clothings at this time of the season, exposing the skin leaves it more to intense drying, we can wear cotton clothing, just make sure to be well covered, if you like, you can put on a socks to prevent the heels from drying and cracking. Covering up well, keeps us warm therefore catching cold is preventable.
4.Bath with lukewarm water
I know it can be tempting to use hot water to bath because if the cold, but it is advised to use like warm water instead as hot water strips off the skin of its natural oil therefore leading to more dryness, which we are basically trying to prevent.
5.Eat healthy meals, fruits and vegetables
Have you heard the saying that "Whatever goes in is what shows outside" ? The same applies to our skin, making sure to eat healthy balanced diet meals, also, adding fruits especially the juicy and refreshing ones like watermelon, oranges, banana, pineapples, cucumber etc keeps us refreshed in and out, what we take in shows on our skin, making it glow and radiant.
6.Wear facemask outdoors
Remember the dust, wearing facemask can help reduce its droplets on our faces, also how much we Inhale to prevent cold and cattarh too as it is very common to catch this time.
7.Exfoilate
Exfoliating the skin helps removes dry dead skin, leaving our skin feeling soft, fresh and smooth, this is one process I enjoy as its benefit is felt almost immediately, although exfoliation is not adviced to be done daily, for some, once weekly is enough, ensure to use safe and natural exfoliants for your skin.
As we go through this season, let's endeavor to keep ourselves and skin hydrated, supple, also maintain the radiance and glow, with all I've listed above, we will be on the right path of keeping our skin healthy during this harmattan season.
Thanks for stopping by, you are free to leave a comment also share any tips you have on how to stay fresh this harmattan season.