ON BITTER cold days, the kind
when even the dog doesn’t want
to go out, you need to protect
your skin from the freezing cold.

By Gerald Secor Couzens
Contributing. Writer

‘ Cold. air can damage the skin
because it has far less moisture
than the warm, humid air you en-
counter exercising in the spring or
summer, .

2: Once : “you start moving: in: frigid _
air — running.at eight miles. per. .
hour, bicycling at 15 miles. per

--hour or. hurtling down a steep’ ski

wl slope at 35 miles ‘per hour — the
wind draws even more moisture
‘from your skin as it passes over.
.The:.end result-.is dry, parched,
“sometimes itchy. skin.

. ~The most: important thing you
can. do it to :put a protective
moisturizing. layer on the skin be-
‘fore going’ out,’’ says Dr. Darrel

. ‘Rigel a dermatoiogist: .

- won't" keep: ‘the cold: vair

oping what's: onmonty called |
inter. skin, a ‘condition that’s
haracterized ° by > extreme

ryness.””
ain general, Rigel says, although

and, ree needs even more *

protecion before - you “venture i

‘outside.

Sealing. your skin daily is im--
portant. ‘‘The best time to do this-
is. right. after .you bathe,’’ Rigel

“Long, - hot’ showers feel
ood ‘in. the winter, butia shower -
is pethaps’ the. worst “thing you’.
could :‘do™ to your.. skin’. Natural
body.oitis act as a sealant, but the
hot. watez takes: these natural cils
-/.out of your skin,.as does scap,
drying. your ‘skin in the process.
‘Taken to extremes, the skin. can.
become ‘cracked. and ‘irritated and
you'll neéd medication.”

A mild, 1.5% over-the-counter
ydrocortisone cream:is very ef-

~ fective in relieving winter: itch, he.
. SAYS.

’ To moisturize after. bathing, pat

: your skin dry with a soft towel to

sea] the moisture in and then use a

: moisturizing «lotion. or cream: for

added ‘protection. Avoid alcohol-,

“care products i in u winter ©

because'they’re not ‘as drying as"

. pure-.soaps, but. they’re not- as
‘good ‘at removing grease and, -if
not-. “properly drained after use,
will melt. :

'- \, Outdoors, protect your skin
‘with ‘another Jayer of moisturizer.
“The best protectant there is is a
thin “layer of Vaseline,’’

‘Says. “It. may sound like a

-@istasteful cosmetic practice, but

if you can tolerate. it,
nothing better.’”

In addition to the cold air, ex-
ercising in the winter sun can also
harm the skin.-Lisa Ann Feinberg,
a champion skier on the women’s
professional tour, skis six days a
week from early November until
the end of April. She is careful to
guard against sunburn

“The big problem in winter for
all skiers is not only the cold
weather, but the sun,’’ she says.
“‘Not only do you get a lot of sun
up in the mountains because of
the thinner atmosphere, but the
sin is also reflected off the snow.

For each 1,000-foot rise in
elevation, the ultraviolet radiation
- from, the. sun, =~ the kind that can

- there's -

NYER §

Protect your skin from the harsh weather

cause sunburn and skin cancer —
increases by 4%.

**Ski at 10,000 feet on a sunny .

day in January, and you'll get the

same sun intensity as you would

at midday in June,”’ Rigel warns.
“When exercising outdoors in

the snow for an extended period

5 ©B.C’s leading ski store

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protection factor of 15 is very im-
portant,”’ he adds. This sunscreen
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