Simple Survival Tips - Taking the Wind Out of Windburn

To prove life is not fair all you have to do is wind up feeling like you’ve got sunburn in the middle of the winter. With temperatures staying below freezing, you suddenly wind up saying to yourself, “What’s happening!” The reason is you’ve been zapped by windburn!

What’s in a name?

Windburn is actually a skin irritation despite what it’s called, even though it looks like a burn. Your skin will appear slightly red and swollen on any areas of your body that has been exposed to the wind. What’s happening? The wind is causing the loss of your protective layer of oil that is on the skin. When your skin dries out to an excessive degree due to the wind, you get an irritation that looks and feels like a real burn. To lessen or reverse the effects of windburn there are some simple steps you can take to lessen or prevent its damaging effects to your skin.

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture

Almost any type of injury to your skin can cause a painful irritation, using a good moisturizer will help to replace the oil layer on your skin while still allowing the skin to “breathe”.

Avoid Harsh Soaps

The more effective soap is as a cleaning agent, the more it will increase the drying effect on your skin and can even make your problems worse. Use milder soaps that have moisturizers.

Replenish the Oil on Your Skin

In really bad cases you made need to add some oil back to your skin. Vaseline or a light mineral oil can work great for this purpose. A zinc oxide paste, the white stuff lifeguards at the beach use on their noses, can be used as a preventive measure for windburn.

Dress Properly

Always dress properly, your nose, lips, and ears are extremely susceptible to windburn.
Earmuffs, a wool cap, and a scarf or face covering of some sort is definitely in order.

Beware of Severe Weather Conditions

The wind chill factor can sometimes be more of a factor than the temperature. The wind chill factor can cause temperatures to go well below the current temperature. This can create extremely dangerous conditions. Stay informed about the weather conditions in your area and avoid extremely windy weather in winter if at all possible. If you do have to go outside, plan your route to take advantage of as much cover as possible to block the wind and eliminate or lessen the dangerous effects of wind_chill.

Here is a way to make winter mittens that are top of the line, inexpensive, and very durable: http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/make-your-own-warm-winter-mitts/
Actually, you don't make them - you put them together.

Thanks Ron!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker