Caring For Your Skin While You Have A Cold

Woman suffering from a cold.  Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages

When you have a cold your skin can really take a beating.  While you are suffering from a cold your nose can get red and flaky, your lips can get chapped, and your skin can look dull and lifeless. Here's how to keep your skin looking great even when you are not feeling your best.

Take Care of Your Nose

Because of frequent nose blowing the skin around our nose starts flaking and becomes red when we have a cold.

 First things first, be sure to purchase tissues that have lotion in them or even use a product such as Boogie Wipes Gentle Saline for Stuffy Noses that is both soothing and moisturizing. These wipes are also gentle enough to use on children as well.

Be sure to constantly moisturize your nose.  You don't necessarily have to apply a heavy or thick moisturizer to your nose but rather find one that you like and just keep using it.

 Over the moisturizer you can apply an oil or even mix the oil into your moisturizer in order to give your moisturizer some extra moisturizing and healing properties.  You could use Vitamin E oil, jojoba oil, or even coconut oil in order to help the flaky skin around your nose.  Make sure you always have a moisturizer within arms' reach or even in your purse so that moisturizing is easy.   A moisturizing stick such as Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lil' Face Butter Stick makes reapplying moisturizer a snap. When our noses are stuffed our lips can get chapped too so be sure to constantly moisturize your lips as well.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

When you are sick you need to make sure you get proper hydration both internally and externally.

So make sure you drink plenty of water while you have a cold.  Be sure to eat foods rich in Omega-3s such as walnuts, tuna, and salmon.  By hydrating your body from the inside out you can help your skin stay soft.

Also use a humidifier in your home so that there is enough moisture in the air around you.

 Using a humidifier while sick or during the winter in general can make a very positive difference in how your skin feels.  Your skin will definitely be less dry if you maintain a high moisture level in the air around you inside your home.

Not only should you constantly be moisturizing your nose be sure to moisturize your face often too. Use a moisturizing mask at night in order to give your skin a well needed boost of moisturizer before or while you sleep.  You can use a moisturizing mask for about 20 minutes or so and wash it off.  Or you can use a mask that is not meant to be washed off.  These new kinds of masks, such as Olay's Regenerist Luminous Overnight Facial Mask Gel Moisturizer, are meant to be applied before bed so that in the morning you can wake-up to soft and smooth skin.  

This isn't the time to bust out your strongest skin care products.  There is no need now for harsh soaps or exfoliants.  Instead baby your skin while you have a cold.

Finally, don't take long, hot showers.  Yes, when you are sick it feels great to stand under hot water. Unfortunately that hot water can dry out your skin significantly.  Instead take short showers, 5 to 10 minutes long, in warm water.