I’m going to be honest here, I don’t like the winter! Along with not being able to show off cute dresses and shorts and skirts, crazily increased heating bills, and seemingly endless colds and nose-blowing for the sniffles, the winter months really take a toll on our skin. The raised heat in our houses and apartments, constantly blowing our noses, drinking more coffee and hot cocoa than water, and taking long, hot showers are all culprits of dull, dry skin. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do to combat dryness.
First of all, and don’t hate me for this (!), try cutting your shower time to about 15 minutes of warm, not hot, water. Trust me, I know how good those scalding hot, half hour long showers feel- but is it worth the itchy, dry skin? Also, try using a body wash that features ‘moisturizing’ on the front. Some ingredients you’ll want to look for are: cocoa or shea butter and aloe vera. Avoid: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Silicone, and castor oil.
Now, I’ve mentioned this before, but I can’t reiterate enough how much of a difference it makes. Within three minutes of getting out of the shower and patting (not rubbing!) dry, apply a thick body lotion. Time is really of the essence here, as after three or so minutes your pores start to close, so the lotion won’t penetrate as well. Another tip is to rub your lotion into each section of skin for about 15 seconds (for instance; left lower leg 15 seconds, left thigh 15 seconds, etc…) to help your skin better absorb it. Some ingredients to look for in your body lotion are pretty much the same as in your body wash, and the ingredients to watch out for are the same too. Not too hard to remember!
I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times over, but I would be lying to you if I said it wasn’t so important. PLEASE drink enough water every day! A good equation to figure out how much water you need for your personal body weight in a day is: your current weight divided by 2 equals the ounces of water you need. (Of course different lifestyles call for different amounts- for instance, athletes need more, while sedentary people can drink just about the equation’s worth) There are so many benefits of drinking enough water, it’s great for your health and it has countless beauty benefits, as well. Think of your skin this way. It’s your largest organ, at an average of 18 sq ft. To hydrate, replenish, and feed it, you need to drink water. Absolutely no beauty treatments, creams, or lotions are going to make your skin look as great as staying hydrated will.
A few additional tips:
-Try to keep the heat in your house or apartment down. Definitely don’t go above 75 degrees F!
-If you have super chapped areas of skin, such as your nose, cheeks, elbows, even lips, try adding some vitamin E oil to your regular lotion. It works wonders, and it’s also great for scar healing (read: acne scars begone!)
-Pure honey can work as an amazing mask for super dry facial skin that’s prone to breakouts. It will hydrate and replenish your skin leaving it bright and kissable without the fear of pimples.
-Remember to exfoliate, be it by dry brushing, a scrub, or a loofah! Exfoliation removes dead, dry skin cells on the top layer of your skin, exposing the fresh, bright skin underneath. Even with all the lotion in the world, you won’t see a difference unless you exfoliate on a regular basis.
Happy moisturizing, and stay warm! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to write a comment and I’ll be sure to address you 🙂
By Elizabeth Anne 