Skin in Winter Running

This is a short Public Service Announcement (think post-WWII social norms ads) on taking care of your skin while running in winter.

The subject stems from living in Canada, running in Canada's winter, and remembering a little too late that your skin needs more protection if you're going to run outside in said winter.

My problem admittedly started when I went home to Alberta for Christmas. I took my regular skin-care regime and didn't change it at all.
The thing I forgot was, Alberta's air is a lot dryer than Ontario air, and my skin wouldn't be as oily.
I noticed that the facial cleanser, Cetaphil's Oily Skin Cleanser, was actually hurting my face when I used it, and my moisturiser wasn't keeping up.

It was only after I hit New Brunswick to realize the problem. Duh. So I went out and bought a bar of Cetaphil's gentle cleanser (not a specialized facial one, just general) and used that, to help my skin rebalance.

This wasn't even from running in Alberta's air, just standing around in it.

Now I'm back in Ottawa, and subjecting my skin to around -7 to -15C temperatures, with windchills and humidity.

My usual regime needs a bit of updating. I may switch to Cetaphil's Sensitive Skin Cleanser, using a pump and a half of moisturizer, and using as much body lotion as I need. I also have the left-over gentle skin bar and may use it for the rest of me.

Key for taking care of your skin in the winter (running or not):
1. Don't be afraid to adjust your skin care routine. What worked in the summer won't necessarily work in the winter. Skin a bit dry? Try a gentler cleanser.

2. Don't over-exfoliate. You'll just irritate your skin unnecessarily.

3. Keep hydrated! Water keeps your skin healthy and looking good, and you need it for running anyway.

4. Change out of running clothes as soon as you can after a run. The cold clamminess of your clothes will leach heat from your body, and that can never be good for your skin.

5. Pat your skin dry.

6. Protect against hypothermia by covering your skin. Wear gloves, even if they're light fabric. Usually I can't stand to wear gloves while running but these days, it's just the right covering to keep my hands warm.

7. Don't forget about protecting your lips! Use a lip balm that won't dry out your lips (no alcohol), with a sunscreen in it.

8. Be sensible about temperature. If it's -25C or lower outside, find something else to stay fit, like a stationary bike, or pay for a day at the gym for a treadmill (if it's that temperature inside, pay your hydro bill!).

9. Some people can run with a scarf over their face, but I've never tried it. I have seen facial coverings to protect faces from frostbite. Give it a shot!

10. Even if you haven't had laser eye surgery, remember to hydrate your eyes too. I've noticed that my eyes get really dry on a run in the winter.

Those are my ten tips for protecting your skin while running in the winter, and I'm probably just touching the tip of the iceberg.