The Rudolph Effect: How to Avoid a Raw Red Nose

Unless you're guiding Santa's sleigh this Christmas Eve, having a red nose at this time of year is probably not ideal. It can be unsightly and painful to boot. But it doesn't have to be that way! Here's the skinny on raw, sore noses.

Maybe you recently spent a weekend skiing on the slopes, or maybe you’ve come down with some sort of cold/allergy/flu combination. Regardless, you’re probably experiencing one common side effect: a raw, red, extremely sore nose. No need to worry! Here are some quick tips to help give your nose some TLC.

• Don’t use hot water on your nose, as this will only further dry out your skin. Instead, use lukewarm or cool water when washing your face to avoid more irritation.
• Don’t use irritating soaps or other chemicals on your nose. These will just add to the irritation.
• Don’t unnecessarily touch or rub your nose. This also will make your sore nose worse.
• Do use a gentle lotion, like shea butter or a natural balm, to help seal the broken skin and introduce healthy nutrients back into the skin.
• If you must touch your nose during this painful time, use a soft, clean tissue, and gently blot your nose if need be. If possible, choose tissues that have lotion in them and are labeled for “sore noses.”
• Refer back to my winter skin care blog post. Moisture is the biggest factor when discussing winter skin. Cold temperatures, heaters and overly hot showers rob skin of valuable moisture during the winter. To combat these issues, drink plenty of water, use a heavier moisturizer than you use during the summer and use warm, rather than hot, water when showering or bathing.

Hopefully, with the help of these tips, you can pull through this last bit of winter without looking like Rudolph. Do you have more questions regarding your red and raw nose? Leave them in the comments below, and I’ll try to help you out!