Tips to Avoid Windburn During Your Ride

Nothing puts a damper on an afternoon bike ride like realizing your face has become windburned. Though it’s more pronounced in colder temperatures, windburn can still occur when it’s warm out too. Windburn is a form of skin irritation that leaves the skin red, dry and sometimes painful. Windburn can make sunburn worse, and vice versa.

Avoiding windburn when bicycling can be a great way to save your skin and allow you to pedal through the great outdoors without a care in the world. Below we’ll cover some tips to prevent windburn from happening while you’re on your bicycle.

Use sunscreen

The average high temperature here in Naples, FL in December is 76 degrees. While riding your bike, you’ll want to apply sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays. This can help protect you from windburn as well. Sunburned skin is more susceptible to windburn, and windburned skin is more vulnerable to sunburn, as the wind and sun strip the skin of its protective oils and minerals, making it more prone to damage.

Use lip balm

Your lips are your skin, too, and because you’ll be exercising, you’ll likely be breathing through your mouth a lot. This combined with the wind can dry out your lips if you forget to protect them. Try applying some lip balm with SPF protection before you ride, and pack a stick of lip balm to take with you that you can apply while you’re riding as well.

Try a humidifier

The air gets dry in the winter, even in climates where the temperature is warm. Dry air can make windburn worse on your skin, so consider using a humidifier in your bedroom at home. You can find these devices for as little as $40, and using one can do wonders for your skin. Just running it in your bedroom while you sleep can make a noticeable difference to your skin’s moisture levels and help you to reduce windburn when you ride your bike.

Use skin moisturizer

In the wintertime, many people have cracked skin on their hands. This is partly due to the weather getting colder, but is mostly caused by the dry winter air. To prevent windburn on your face, you can try a specifically-made face moisturizing lotion. If you find that your hands are getting chapped, you can purchase some hand moisturizer at your local retail or drug store.

Avoid taking long, hot showers

While standing in a hot shower for a while might feel good, it’s not great for your skin. Prolonged exposure to hot water can strip your skin of its natural moisture, causing it to dry out more quickly. Try taking lukewarm showers that are 10 to 15 minutes long to prevent your skin from becoming dehydrated and more prone to windburn.

Call for bicycle service today

Hopefully you found these tips to prevent windburn from happening helpful. Avoiding windburn when bicycling can make you that much more eager to get back out on the road. Before your next ride, call the experts at Big Momma’s Bicycles. We offer bicycle tune-ups in addition to sales, service and repair, so let our experts help you get your bike in road-ready condition today!

Categorised in: Bike Safety