6 Tips for Healthy Winter Skin

The change of seasons can wreak havoc on your skin. Dry winds can result in chapped lips and tight cheeks, but with a little bit of prep, you can have the skin of your dreams. When you bring out your winter coats each year you should think about changing your skincare routine to make sure your skin stays supple and smooth. If you have sensitive skin, remember to test new products on the inside of your elbow and wait 24 hours before putting it on your face.

Combat Dryness

Cold winds outside and heaters inside cause tight dry skin. This is the biggest change people notice with Winter skin. Use a thicker body lotion like a body butter or balm and a heavier face moisturiser. Don’t forget to use a nice thick night cream to wake up with soft dewy skin. Dry skin is irritated even further by having hot baths and showers and so try to make sure your water isn’t scalding and try switching to a gentle soap-free cleanser.

Try Natural Secrets’ Goats Milk Shower Gel

Natural Secrets Goats Milk Shower Gel 500mL

Hydration

Keeping your body hydrated on the inside will help keep your skin hydrated on the outside. Drink plenty of water, even more than you think you need. And have an extra glass of water for each alcoholic or caffeinated drink.

Go Gentle

It’s tempting to use harsh scrubs and strong cleansers on your face to try and remove the top layer of dry skin, but this will do more damage in the long run. Opt for a gentle cleanser and don’t wash with hot water – use warm instead. If your face feels particularly dry, only use a cleanser once a day so you don’t strip the skin of natural protective oils.

Try Sukin’s Sensitive Cleansing Lotion

Sukin Sensitive Cleansing Lotion 125mL

Don’t Forget About your Hands and Lips

The skin on your hands and lips are exposed all year round and they need extra care. If your hands are so dry they’re cracking you can help them heal by putting a thick layer of hand cream on under some cotton gloves (or clean socks!) overnight. This will help the cream sink in and prevent mess. For lips, make a conscious effort to avoid licking them as the digestive enzymes in saliva can cause more damage. Some thick pawpaw ointment will help to protect and moisturise this delicate area.

Excessive Dryness

If you have patches of excessive flaky dry skin you may need to add a little more moisture to your routine. Adding a few drops of jojoba, rosehip or argan oil will help sooth, heal and moisturise those patches. Use it directly on the dry area or add a few drops to your regular moisturising cream. If the dry skin is also itchy it could be a sign of irritation and so try using non-scented products for a while.

Remember to SPF

Our Australian winter sun can still cause damage and age the skin. Make sure you wear sunscreen on your face if you are going to be outside, or even better, find an everyday face moisturiser with SPF so you know you’ll be covered.

Try Natio Renew Day Cream SPF 15

Natio Renew Day Cream SPF 15 50g

Boost Your Immune System with these 6 Simple Substitutions

It’s important that coming into the cold and flu season we all do what we can to boost our own immunity. There’s no need to completely change your life and buy dozens of supplements and potions – you can make small changes to improve your overall health, one small step at a time.

Here are 6 simple substitutions to help you be healthier with a stronger immune system.

Have one less cigarette a day

We’re not here today to tell you to ‘give up smoking’ because if you smoke, you probably hear that all the time already. But we are going to ask you to have one less cigarette each day. The easiest way to do that is to skip your first smoke of the day. For some that will be as soon as you wake up, for others it’s when you come home from work. Some of you might only smoke when you drink. Regardless, cut back on that first cigarette. That means you’ll have 7 less smokes a week, 30 less a month. That’s huge! And every cigarette you avoid gives your body a better fighting chance against this year’s nasties.

To get help cutting back, come in and talk to our staff about nicotine replacement therapy and other options.

Choose a healthier lunch option

Swap out your jam sandwich for avocado and tomato. Pick a wholegrain bread instead of white. Instead of a side of fries, ask for a small salad. By focusing on making just one meal a day more nutritious you’re changing your habits and improving your health.

Our trained staff and nutritionist can help you make better nutrition choices! Whether you want to lose weight, have more energy or just get back on track with your diet, come in and let us help you feel better today

Before that next glass of alcohol, how about some water?

A lot of us could probably cut back a bit in this regard. Instead of cutting out alcohol altogether, an easier step is to space your drinks and increase your water intake. Your body takes a lot of energy to process each alcoholic drink, energy we need to help us fight off infection, and so reducing the number of drinks you have gives your body, especially your liver, some much-needed rest. Add a slice of lemon to make it feel a little more festive.

Unwind by taking a short walk

Instead of relaxing in front of the TV take a leisurely stroll around the block. Exercise improves the health of your heart and lungs and is known to improve your mood. By switching out some of the time you would usually spend sitting on the couch with 20-30mins of movement you’re improving your body’s ability to fight off disease.

Have your afternoon tea outside

Vitamin D is needed for healthy muscles and bones and the easiest source is spending a little time in the sun. A deficiency in vitamin D is associated with poor health and a weakened immune system, particularly around the body’s ability to fight infection. There’s a fine balance between too much sun and not enough, and so having a designated break outside each day will help you get the right amount.

If you have concerns about your vitamin D levels, come and talk to our staff

Instead of winding down with your phone in bed, read a book

You might read a magazine or newspaper instead, but the key thing here is to not spend time looking at a screen immediately before going to sleep. Technology before bed interrupts the production of your sleep hormone melatonin. Good sleep is vital for a strong, healthy immune system, and poor sleep also affects how quickly you bounce back from illness.

If you don’t feel refreshed when you wake up, come in and talk to our sleep specialists.

Improving your body’s natural defences can seem like a daunting task. But a few small changes here and there will soon add up, giving your body’s immune system the support it needs to fight off infection, and help you recover when you become ill.

5 Ways You Can Prepare Now for a Coronavirus Outbreak

By now you’ve likely heard about coronavirus, also called COVID-19, and the very real risk it poses. It has been declared a pandemic, which means it has spread quickly across the globe.

Most people who become infected will only have mild flu-like symptoms, however it can be fatal for young children, the elderly and people with a compromised immune system. This is why it’s important for everyone to be aware, prepared, and to do their part in stopping the spread.

If you or a family member do become infected, or if the virus starts spreading through the town, you will be expected to stay home for two weeks to limit exposure in the community.

Here are 5 steps everyone should take in preparation for the coronavirus

1. Check you have your regular medication

Make sure you have at least two weeks worth in case you can’t access your doctor or leave the house. This means being aware when you next need to fill a prescription and knowing whether or not you have any repeats left (Our app can help you manage your meds – if you’re not set up yet ask us about it next time you’re in).

If you regularly take an over-the-counter medication such as Panadol, keep an eye on your supply and if in doubt, grab another box. It’s also probably a good time to make sure your First Aid kit is stocked and everything is still in-date.

2. Wash your hands with soap

Put a soap pump at each sink in your home and get used to washing your hands with soap and warm water. Teach your children how to clean the front and back of their hands every time. Proper hand hygiene is the most effective way to stop any virus from spreading.

3. Use hand sanitiser

It’s not always practical to wash your hands, but a small squirt of hand sani will help kill germs. Keep a bottle in your bag and your car at all times.

4. Stockpile the essentials

You don’t need to go crazy, but do make sure you have enough personal essentials (toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, tampons), cleaning products (dish soap, laundry detergent, surface cleaner) and pantry food (canned beans, tuna, pasta etc) to last you two weeks. Don’t forget about pet food too. Two weeks is not a huge amount of time, but if you run out of toilet paper it will feel like forever!

5. Get a flu shot

The seasonal flu shot won’t protect against coronavirus, it is still a good idea to get immunised. Over 3,000 die from influenza in Australia each year and luckily we can vaccinate and stop it from spreading. It’s one less thing to worry about.

If you are unsure which medicines you need to have on hand, or have any other concerns, please come in and talk to one of us at Chapman & Wood. We can review when your prescriptions will expire and which ones you might want to get made up now.

The coronavirus is mostly dangerous because it can spread so easily. It is a very serious situation, but luckily there are ways to prepare and protect yourself and your family, to help avoid becoming infected and minimise the spread through the community.

How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnoea?

Night after night of interrupted sleep will leave anyone feeling exhausted. Sleep apnoea is a medical disorder affecting almost 5% of the Australian population, and if left untreated can contribute to high blood pressure, weight gain, headaches and other illness. An “apnoea” is when you stop breathing in your sleep and wake up momentarily. By the time morning comes, when you should be feeling refreshed, you are feeling more tired than when you lay down.

A common side effect of sleep apnoea is loud snoring and so it often also disrupts the sleep of our loved ones too. Besides complaints from your spouse, how do you know if you have it?

Sleep Apnoea Self-assessment

There are two simple quizzes you can take that indicate whether you may have a sleep disorder.

  1. Epworth Sleepiness Test
    This measures how likely you are to doze off in certain situations. If you receive a higher than average result you may have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea.
  2. STOP-BANG
    This quiz looks at your behaviours and risk factors to determine how likely you are to have obstructive sleep apnoea.

You can take these tests online, or come in and see us and our Sleep Apnoea Specialists will take you through it, and tell you what the results mean.

Sleep Study

If these tests indicate that you may have a sleep disorder, the next step is to undergo a sleep study (“polysomnography”). This involves fitting you with a mask and lending you equipment which monitors oxygen, heart rate and breathing. Our Sleep Apnoea Specialists guide you through this, and you can do it in the comfort of your own home.

In certain cases your GP may give you a referral to spend a night at a sleep lab, where you stay overnight hooked up to equipment which does the same.

Luckily, once you have a diagnosis there are a number of successful ways to treat it.

Chapman & Wood Chemist have a number of Sleep Apnoea Specialists in the team who are able to talk through your test results and provide tools and solutions to improve your sleep. We have a range of CPAP machines available and will look at your holistic health to help you get the solid sleep you need.

Come in and have a chat if you are concerned about your sleep health.

Chapman & Wood