Do you find that you’re much more prone to cracked hands, chapped lips, and dry skin this time of year?
The thing is, we run the heater more frequently in the winter (duh!) and that can suck the moisture right out of the air. It’s why you may wake up with a dry throat, headache, or even a bloody nose!
This dryness can even negatively affect your houseplants and furniture.
Buying a humidifier can help, but that can be costly. That’s why I wanted to share 6 DIY (Do It Yourself) humidifiers that you can use in your home to help with the dryness.
This one works well to get moisture into the kitchen, or even the living/dining room if you have an open-concept layout.
Add water to a kettle or pot and bring it to a boil on your stovetop. As the water boils, it will evaporate into steam and mix with the air of the room.
Just be sure to keep your eye on it. The heat produced can cause burns if touched. Additionally, once the water evaporates completely, you could ruin your empty pot or kettle by keeping it on the heat.
Once finished, turn off the burner and let everything cool before handling.
Plants need water, and if your home is too dry – depending on the plant – it could suffer as a result. So, not only could your plant’s health come as a warning, they can help you in another way.
When you water your plants, the water is taken up through the roots. But only about 3% of that water is used for growth and metabolism. The other 97% or so is released through the leaves as vapor by a process known as transpiration.
Just be sure to purchase plants that act as natural humidifiers, as some may have the opposite effect. Types of plants to look for are Areca Palm, Peace Lily, English Ivy, Rubber Plant, and Spider Plant.
It’s incremental, but every little bit helps!
On top of that, plants help keep the air fresh through photosynthesis and other processes that remove toxins from the air. They also lighten up your living space which contributes to happiness.
This one is killing two birds with one stone. When you shower with warm to hot water, steam is released into the air. Keep the bathroom fan off and open the door for your next shower. All of that steam will float out of the bathroom and add moisture to your home.
If you don’t want to shower with the door open, just open it when you’re done to let the moisture out.
If you’re really desperate, run the shower for a few minutes with the door open even if you’re not showering. Clog the drain and catch the water to use for another purpose to reduce waste.
I know, I know – isn’t the heater what got us into this mess? But you can use it to your advantage!
This will vary depending on what type of heater you have, but placing a container of warm water on or by your heater can cause the water to evaporate, adding moisture to the air. For floor or wall vents, place a metal or ceramic container on or beside the vent. For wood-stoves or hot water radiators, place them right on top.
Just be careful, these containers can become quite hot!
This one is a double whammy. Your clothes dryer is certainly convenient, but running it is only adding to your home’s dryness.
Instead, take your wet clothes and hang them somewhere central in your home. As they dry, their moisture will seep out into the air.
This way, you’re reducing the dryness that your dryer causes and adding moisture to the air.
Last but not least, you can use those warm sun rays that come through your window to your advantage.
Grab a glass vase (or another large glass container), fill it with water, and place it by a window that catches the most amount of sunlight. As the sun beats down on it, the natural process of evaporation will take place, and the water will gradually turn to vapor, mixing in with the air in your home.
Just be sure to keep your eye on it and add water as needed!
Of course, keeping an environment that your skin agrees with is important. But so is giving your body the nutrients needed to help your skin be healthy in the first place.
One of these nutrients is collagen.
If you’ve noticed that your skin has a tougher time with each passing winter, it’s likely because our collagen levels drop as we age, and your skin is having difficulty keeping up.
Supplementing with an absorbable form of collagen can help you get the skin of your youth back.
Click here to learn how Complete Collagen+ helped me (and how it can help you too)!