A chill in the air, lingering dark clouds and frosty mornings. If you’re anything like me, the winter months with shorter days, chilly temperatures and lack of sunshine can really dampen your mood.
And if you already suffer from dry, irritated, or sensitive skin, then keeping your skin’s moisture during the winter month’s can be quite a challenge. That’s why it’s important to have a pro-active skincare routine that nourishes and protects your skin. Follow my personal winter skin care tips to help tackle winter skincare woes and keep your skin feeling hydrated, protected and glowing throughout the winter season.
STAY HYDRATED!
The need to stay hydrated is not just for hot summers. The air both outside, and inside your home is drier in the winter as the cold takes hold and you crack up the heating. As a result, water evaporates from your body easily. So drink lots of water to re-hydrate from the inside and out.
PROTECT YOUR LIPS!
The skin on your face contains up to 16 cellular layers, while the skin on your lips are much thinner with only 3-5 cellular layers. It does not contain sebum, the skin’s natural oil, nor does it sweat. This makes your lips dry out quicker than other parts of your skin and is a contributing factor as to why the lips are one of the first parts of our bodies to show distress from dry, harsh weather and can easily start to bleed if they are chapped or dry.
A good natural lip balm effectively provides a protective layer from the elements that you would normally get from your skin’s natural oils and will help you maintain hydrated and plump lips.
EXFOLIATE WITH PURPOSE
You may be cleansing and moisturising, but if you are not exfoliating, your skin is not as healthy as it could be.
A layer of dead skin can build up on your skin, feet, and lips, leaving you with dull, dry, cracked skin. Exfoliating is the removal of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface and should be done at least once a week, twice if you are using an extremely gentle exfoliant. Exfoliating allows the skin to generate new skin cells and increase blood circulation leaving a new layer of healthy glowing skin.
WASH WITH LUKE WARM WATER
A lukewarm temperature is best to avoid drying out your skin.
It’s so tempting to want to indulge in a nice piping hot shower when it’s blistering cold out. It sounds lovely just thinking about the hot water warming your skin. However, that hot shower could do you more harm than good. Washing your skin with hot water, especially when you have skin prone to dryness and inflammation (conditions like eczema), can make it quite difficult for you to keep your skin moisturised and healthy. If you then combine hot water with a lot of soap, you could be stripping your skin of its natural oils which protect and nourish your skin.
So, reduce the lather, take shorter showers, and use lukewarm water.
Give your skin a chance to bounce back by using gentle natural products to cleanse and moisturise your skin.
Choose cleansers that contain moisturisers to avoid stripping your skin of its natural moisture barrier.
MOISTURISE YOUR SKIN
The best time to apply moisturiser to your skin is within the first three minutes of getting out of the shower. This is considered the optimum time to allow the product to act as a second skin and seal the moisture back in. After your shower, pat your skin dry and add your favourite natural moisturiser while your skin is still damp. It will help to absorb all the goodness from the cream, so your skin stays hydrated, softer and healthy.
Moisturising Your skin is not just about replenishing our skin’s water levels, we need to be concerned with the oil levels too. The top layer of the skin is called the hydrolipidic film. We each have a specific balance of oil and water that make up this film. The hydrolipidic film, defends the skin against bacteria and also acts as our skin’s natural moisturiser. The skin’s natural oils found in this layer help to lock in moisture. This is why it is important to use a skincare range rich in antioxidants and natural oils that can help to strengthen and keep moisture locked in.
