Humidifier: A winter essential

Winter months in the Northland are rough enough, but does our skin need to be? Combatting dry skin is just one health benefit of using a humidifier in the winter months. Between wooly sweaters, intense wind, and all those space heaters we use to get through the frozen tundra we call winter, our skin is left parched and slightly less than appealing. Slathering on the body butters and lotions are a must, but our skin can hold moisture better with the help of a humidifier.

Humidifier power doesn't just end on the exterior.

Sinus problems?

We blast the heat here in Minnesota, which means warm, dry air; which leads to drying out the mucus in the nose. Crusting and dry "scabs" in the nasal passage are a result of a lack of moisture here. Not fun! Sleeping in the extra dry air can cause nose bleeds to occur. Have a kiddo that suffers from winter nose bleeds? Adding a humidifier can moisturize the air we breathe in to reduce the dryness in the nose and allow the nose to more easily clear the mucus.

Now I, personally, have purchased an array of humidifiers over the years. It is an absolute must in our household! There is nothing worse that waking up with a dried out nose and/or parched throat in the winter. Which, is almost always followed with the panicked thought, "Am I getting sick?!" Filling up the humidifier is a part of my winter nightly routine:

• Wash face: check!

• Brush teeth: check!

• Fill Humidifier: check!

• Thieves on my feet: Check! (That will be another post!)

Cleaning:

Now before I share with you my favorite humidifier, I must emphasis the importance of caring for your humidifier! Like I mentioned before, I have tried a large variety of humidifiers over the years. I used to have to replace mine every year due to the mold build-up (yuck!) Some were worse than others: I remember having to throw one away after only one month. The key to preventing mold build-up is not letting water sit in it while being unused. If you don't use up all the water overnight, dump it out in the morning.

My second tip for keeping your humidifier clean is using a cleaning

cartridge. Just simply plop this bad boy right into the water basin of your humidifier and it gets right to work. I honestly feel like these cartridges prolong the life of my humidifier. I get mine from Target: this 2 pack is currently $10-click the picture for a link to Target's site.

My Favorite Humidifier:

Now for the reveal! My favorite humidifier can also be purchased at Target. It is currently priced at a whopping $35 (I'm pretty sure this is what I paid for mine). You can click on the picture for a link to Target's site. I have had this particular unit for over two years! Which is a long time with my history of humidifiers (remember the one I replaced after one month).

I absolutely need to sleep with a fan going, so this humidifier is perfect for me! I set it on high and sleep like a well moisturized baby! However, if you need absolute silence, you may want to set it on low. I definitely notice a difference in moisture levels between the two settings, so my suggestion would be to get the humidifier going an hour or two before bedtime to build up the moisture levels before you hit the hay.

Pick one up at your next Target visit and let me know if you are noticing and/or enjoying the results!

#health