VOICES

Practice good skin health even in winter

November is Healthy Skin Month, so this is a great time of year to emphasize the importance of good skin care and share some advice on maintaining healthy skin. Here are some tips that can help Coloradans adopt healthy skin habits to care for our skin year-round.

As the weather gets cooler, we turn on our furnaces and prepare for the cold, dry winter months. is drier weather and lack of humidity can wreak havoc on our skin. ose with eczema or other dry skin conditions may notice that their skin worsens, and even those without a predilection to dry skin may notice the occasional dry crack or painful ssure. e best way to combat the dry weather is with good gentle skin care. Showers and bathing should be kept short and use lukewarm water, as either too hot or too cold can dry out the skin. I recommend using a gentle hydrating cleanser that is free of harsh soap that can strip the skin of its natural oils and moisture. e most important step is to moisturize every day, sometimes multiple times daily if necessary. Choose a thicker cream or ointment-based moisturizer over a lotion, as these will be more hydrating. Apply immediately after a bath or shower while your skin is still damp to lock in the moisture.

You may even want to consider running a humidi er in your bedroom at night, as this can also help to improve skin hydration. Applying petroleum jelly to ngertips and cuticles can also be helpful for those who struggle with brittle nails or ngertip splitting.

Although most Coloradans may not be thinking about their sun exposure as much during the winter months, it is a great time to remind ourselves of the risks of skin cancer as we prepare to hit the slopes.

It’s important to remember that Colorado’s higher elevation and our love of outdoor activities means Coloradans are exposed to a higher UV incidence than the rest of the country.

Although it may not seem as sunny, it is still just as important to use our sunscreen when skiing and enjoying other outdoor winter activities. Choose a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher and make sure to reapply every two hours while hitting the slopes, and don’t forget to use a lip balm with SPF in it as well.

After getting home from a fun day in the snow, it may also be a good time to get into the habit of using a nightly retinoid. Retinoids are helpful in reducing wrinkles and ne lines, as well as improving overall skin tone, preventing pores from clogging, and helping to combat some of the skin aging e ects from chronic sun exposure. Side e ects of retinoids can be redness, irritation, and sun sensitivity, so it’s always a good idea to start with the lowest strength initially and work your way up. Starting slowly (only a few nights per week) and using a good moisturizer can help to mitigate these side e ects. And don’t forget to continue to use your sun protection during the day.

While November reminds us of the importance of healthy skin, let’s make skin care a year-round habit.

GUES COLUMN Dr. Adam Vaudreuil

Dr. Adam Vaudreuil is dermatologist at Vanguard Skin Specialists, with eight locations in Colorado, including Castle Rock and Parker.

The spirit and reality of Santa Claus

Last week I happened to catch an article about our Generation Z population regarding Santa Claus. e Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary de nes Generation Z as “ e generation of people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s.” e message was based on interviews with a few people from that generation and their belief in Christmas, or primarily their belief or disbelief in Santa Claus. e few people that were interviewed expressed their opinion that they would not raise their children to believe in some chubby Christmas elf called Santa Claus. ey were not willing to lie to their children about some mystery man who went to each home delivering presents, and they were certainly not going to sign the label on the gift “From: Santa Claus.” e questions that popped into my head were about how they may have been raised. Did they enjoy the mystery of Santa Claus? Were their gifts signed, “From: Santa Claus?” And if so, where, and how did they become disillusioned? is isn’t the rst time someone, or a group, has tried to cancel Santa Claus. For some reason they just feel like sharing the mystery of Santa Claus is a lie that shouldn’t be perpetuated. So now I feel it’s time to help defend jolly old Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Santa Claus against those who wish to see his name and the tradition disappear. e origin of Santa Claus stems from a monk who was from what is now modern-day Turkey known as Saint Nicholas in A.D. 280. Saint Nicholas was known as the saint who watched over children. It is also said that he gave away his wealth and helped the poor and sick. So indeed, there was a real Saint Nicholas. And over all these hundreds of years, the spirit of Saint Nicholas has continued to grow the tradition of giving, helping, and giving hope to one another. e season between anksgiving and Christmas is the greatest time for giving, during this time we see the spirit of abundance everywhere.

I have such great admiration for all those volunteers who represent the Salvation Army, ringing their bell as they help drive donations to an amazing organization. Do we want to cancel those volunteer Santa Clauses too? at would be an absolute shame. And a huge shout out to all of you who take your shifts being Santa and ringing in the Christmas spirit of giving, and doing it regardless of the weather, you are all awesome.

My guess is no one wants to intentionally lie to their children about a mysterious and magical Santa Claus. As I think back to how I raised my own children, we emphasized Santa Claus, we had them meet Santa Claus and get their pictures taken, they wrote letters to Santa, and yes, we even left cookies and eggnog for jolly old Saint Nick. But we also spoke to the spirit of the season and what we could do for others. Maybe it was paying some utility bills for someone, donating money or time to the rescue mission, helping a neighbor who was in a di cult spot and couldn’t a ord gifts that year. e real reason for the season is obviously the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. May we never forget this, no matter the numerous attempts that try and commercialize the season or the day. And going back to our original Saint Nicholas in A.D. 280, may we remember where the spirit of Santa Claus began, and may we do what we can to ensure that the spirit of Saint Nick lives on and in us all.

How about you and your family? Is it all about the gifts and only the gifts? Or does the spirit of Santa Claus help you to embrace the season and the day with abundance, giving, helping, and providing hope to our family, friends, and those who need a hand up? I would love to hear your Santa Claus story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can stop trying to cancel the spirit of Santa Claus, it really will be a better than good life.

WINNING WORDS

Michael Norton

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

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