One of the unanticipated side effects of staying home for self-isolation is that some people start drying out. I’m one of them.
In case you were wondering, I haven’t stopped drinking alcohol. I still enjoy a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. In fact, I look forward to 5:01 PM when I allow myself to have a drink. No, the drying out I’m talking about is quite literal. My body’s moisture content is rapidly going down.
One of the reasons for this is that indoor heating and ventilation dries the air. Bear in mind, I was housebound in California for a week before I came back to Alberta, and since then I have been housebound for another week. There is still one more week to go before I am allowed outside, but already I am feeling the effects. Three weeks indoors may prove to be more debilitating than I anticipated.
I could open a window, I suppose, but it is still winter in Alberta and it is chilly out there. Not only that but Edmonton air is usually dry. I don’t really understand why, but it is a characteristic of a winter climate. You would think all that moisture in the form of snow would make the air moist, but the opposite is true. We have had more snow this week, and my skin tells me the air is drier than it was a week ago.
Since I returned to Edmonton my heels have become cracked, the skin around my nails is starting to peel, and my face is breaking out in a rash like a teenager. You may not know this about dry skin, but it invites acne. When we were teenagers the problem was oily skin. As we age, the problem is dry skin. Apparently, it too causes blocked pores. The solution is more moisturizer.
So, even though I might benefit from drying out by giving up alcohol, I am definitely not benefitting from drying out due to dehydration. Although, now that I think about it, maybe there is a connection there.
In any case, I know my body is drier in Alberta than it was in California. So, I’m blaming the climate, not the wine.
Fortunately, I have an abundant supply of moisturizers of various kinds and lots of time with which to apply them. When this health crisis is over, I expect to be fully lubricated.
Snowbird of Paradise 
Great tongue in cheek ending 🙂
I thought you might pick up on that, June. Thank you.
Yes I laughed , a good belly laugh!
I’m glad I gave you a laugh, Sue!
Alberta sucks everything out of you. Let me tell you!
Hahaha. Well, maybe not EVERYthing.
I’m with Nancy, ha ha!
🙂 Can you tell I’m craving home-Vancouver- this week as March goes out like a lion? Le sigh. I’m such a wimp!
I’m so dry too! It gets worse as I get older. I swear, I could rub straight olive oil on my skin every hour and it would still do nothing.
LOL. I’m imaging you with that bottle of olive oil.
Yes, l in the love the tongue in cheek comment at the end. I have heard we aren’t inclined to feel as thirsty (for water!) in the winter time, and our skin dries out because we are not staying hydrated. Just a thought. Although I am living in an environment where we are actually having Spring, and thus increased humidity, my hands are drying out because I am washing my hands more thoroughly and more often.
There’s no doubt I should be drinking more water but I think that’s true of nearly everyone.
I have started putting on hand lotion every time after hand-washing. It helps.
That’s a good idea!