The Best Skin Care Tips For Seniors
Skin care for seniors isn’t just about looking good. Skin is an indicator of overall health, and skin conditions can indicate other health conditions that could be serious. It’s also very easy for seniors who have dry or cracked skin to get skin infections which be serious or even deadly. But even though skincare for seniors is very important for health and wellness, there are many seniors who struggle to take care of their skin. It can be difficult for seniors to apply moisturizers, bathe on their own, or deal with incontinence issues without personal care at home. Personal care at home allows seniors to keep their dignity, protect their skin, and protect their health. Some of the most often recommended skin care tips for seniors are:
Don’t Bathe Too Often
Seniors usually don’t need to bathe or shower every single day. In fact, bathing too often can cause seniors to have really dry skin. Washing their faces and a general clean up daily is enough most of the time to keep seniors clean and fresh. Using baby wipes for a daily freshen up is a great way make sure that seniors are clean and feel good without drying out their skin too much. It’s always a good idea to have some gentle unscented wipes on hand for seniors to use. You can leave packets of them in each bathroom and in your senior parent’s bedroom so they are always accessible.
Use Warm Or Cool Water To Bathe Or Wash Up
Hot water can feel great but it dries skin out very quickly. And seniors tend to have very thin and delicate skin because the skin loses the fatty layer underneath the surface and becomes thin as people get older. So most doctors and skin care experts recommend that when seniors do shower or bathe that they do so with warm or cool water instead of hot water. Seniors may need to keep towels close by to wrap up in quickly if they get cold while bathing using warm or cool water.
Use A Moisturizer With Sunscreen
Every senior should be using a moisturizer on their face, hands, and body every day. But, seniors need sunscreen every day too. Even in the winter when the sun isn’t as bright. So you should look for a high quality thick moisturizer that also has a strong sunscreen in it. Facial creams often have sunscreen but regular body lotions may not have the added sunscreen that seniors need. If your senior loved one likes a particular lotion that doesn’t have sunscreen apply the sunscreen to their skin first, then the lotion.
Use A Humidifier
Another tool that seniors can use to keep their skin healthy is a humidifier. Many seniors have dry air in their homes and over time that dry air can cause a lot of damage to a senior’s delicate skin. Keep a cool mist humidifier running in the living room or downstairs space where your senior spends most of their time. And put one in the bedroom that will run at night to protect your senior loved one’s skin at night.
If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Edison, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.
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