Winter Skin Care Essentials
Winter can be a difficult time for our skin between the cold harsh weather outdoors and the drying heated enviroment indoors. Bricks and mortars and online beauty stores and supermarket aisles are full of creams, lotions, oils and serums promising miracles. While cleasing and moisturizing your skin certainly is helpful to maintaining skin health and a fresh, youthful appearance, you don’t need expensive products to get the trick done.
Here are a few tips to help you nourish your skin inside and out this winter without breaking the budget:
1/ Stay Hydrated
Water is one of the most important gifts you can give to your skin. While it won’t keep your skin moisturized (hydration and moisture are two different things, but more on that later), it will help improve the appearance of your skin in many ways:
Hydration promotes skin elasticity
Hydration helps combat the appearance of fine lines
Hydration makes your skin look radiant and glowing
Hydration helps your skin eliminate toxins
Hydration helps reduce inflammation and irritation
Hydration helps fight build-up caused by dry skin (which can cause excess sebum production and acne to compensate for the dryness)
Hydration draws water to the skin, keeping it more firm, plump and supple which ultimately prevents sagging.
2/ Dry Brush Once a Week
Dry brushing is the process of exfoliating dry skin. It works by removing dead skin cells and preparing the skin for cleansing and moisturizing. Exfoliation helps your moisturizers do their job by helping them penetrate the skin more effectively.
HOW TO DRY BRUSH FOR SMOOTHER MORE SUPPLE SKIN
Dry brushing is a simple practice that requires 10 minutes and a small investment in a natural bristle brush. It’s helpful to have a brush with a long handle for hard to reach spots like your lower back, but it’s equally helpful to have a brush that fits in the palm of your hand for the rest of your body, as it’s easier to control the strokes. I have a brush with a long handle that can be removed, similar to this one.
Start at your toes and gently by firmly brush your skin, using long strokes upwards and towards your heart. When you get to your stomach, move in a circular motion, all the way up your torso. Then move on your arms, start with your fingers/hands and move updwards using long strokes. Then move on to your back, starting at the lower back and making your way up to the shoulders.
Dry brushing has been said to also benefit the body by helping to remove toxins, improve digestion, and reduce cellulite.
If you have sensitive skin that is easily irritated, extremely dry or cracked skin, psoriasis or eczema, you’ll want to be very careful and gentle when dry brushing. Avoid going over any areas that are cracked or inflammed and apply less pressure if it starts to hurt. Dry brushing shouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
3/ Limit Shower/Bath Time & Avoid Hot Water Temperatures
We all love a good hot bath or shower in the winter, especially when we feel cold and want to warm up. However, water that is too hot actually dehydrates the skin and evaporates quickly, which can leave the skin feeling itchy, dry and cracked in the winter months.
Here are a few tips to help you:
Don’t take frequent showers
Limit your time in the shower when you do
Don’t crank up the water temperature
Keep the bathroom door closed to trap in the steam
Make sure you moisturize immediately after you dry off to trap in the moisture and prevent too much water loss.
4/ Go Easy on The Cleansing
Cleansers can be harsh on the skin, stripping away all it’s natural oils which cause the skin to feel dry and tight and encourages excess sebum production to make up for the lack in moisture. It’s actually one of the most disruptive things you can do for your skin. Unfortunately, water is not enough to remove build-up, make-up and impurities, so sometimes a good cleanse is necessary.
Here are a few tips to help you go easy on the cleansing:
Chose a gentle cleanser without harsh surfactants, that will help clean away surface dirt and/or make-up, without stripping away your skin’s protective barrier, while also trapping in moisture.
If you cleanse in the evening, you don’t have to cleanse in the morning. Use water and a gentle natural toner like rose water.
If you don’t wear make-up and don’t have a lot of build up, you don’t necessarily have to cleanse every day. Again, water and a gentle natural toner like rose water may be enough.
Skip the daily cleanse in favour of a weekly deep cleanse (again, this only works if you don’t wear make-up, as make-up should be washed off every day). If you’re looking for a natural DIY cleanser, try my Rhassoul Clay & Rose Water Face Mask, it’s an all natural purifying cleanser that will leave your skin feeling amazing.
The bottom line is, when you cleanse your skin, you want it to feel fresh, smooth and moist, not stiff and tight.
5/ Moisturize From Head to Toe
We talked about hydration above, or the process of drawing water into the skin. Moisturization on the other hand is the process of trapping that moisture in to create a natural protective barrier for your skin. The type of moisturizer you need depends on your skin type, as all moisturizers were not created equal and it can get pretty confusing wander the aisles trying to find the perfect product for yourself. You’ll need one moisturizer for your body and a separate one for your face.
I like to use sweet almond oil as an all over body moisturuzer and a vitamic C serum on my face, with the addition of a light hydrating cream when I feel like I need it. If you’re not sure what you need for your specific skin type, ask a local professional to help you find what’s right for you. Often times it takes some trial and error.
Aloe vera gel is an excellent natural moisturizer. Mix a dollop of pure aloe vera gel with a drop of rose water and apply to the face and neck for a natural hydrating and moisturizing serum. Aloe vera also makes an incredible scalp mask.
In general, less is more, and you don’t need a whole cabinet full of products to have healthy well moisturized skin, especially if you’re hydrating, and following the other tips in this article.
6/ Protect Your Skin from Sun Damage
Sun protection is just as important in the cold winter months as it is in the summer months. Sure, you’re likely less exposed and spend lesss time outdoors in the winter, but just because you can’t see the sun it doesn’t mean it’s there. Chose a hydrating cream with SPF or apply an SPF cream on top of your regular hydrating cream. Look for mineral based SPF creams.
7/ Control Your Indoor Environment
You may not have much control over the outdoor temperatures, but you can control your indoor temperature. Blasting the heat can cause your home to be dry and stuffy, which can in turn cause dry skin and chapped lips.
Turn your thermostat down, the ideal temperature should be between 18 and 21 C, use a humidifier if the air gets too dry and stuffy and if you can, turn off your heater periodically to give your skin a break. If you spend a lot of time indoors, in heavily heated environments, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of filtered or mineral water and make sure to moisturize as noted above.
8/ Nourish Your Skin from Within
Eating a well balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and proteins is the best way to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy and youthful. After all, we are what we eat. Our cells and gut microbiome are literally made up of what we consume each day.
While all vitamins and minerals play their part in keeping ourbody healthy, here are the top 5 nutrients for keeping skin healthy.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that protects your body from free radical damage and promotes collagen production which strengthens the capillaries and promotes skin elasticity for a more radiant and youthful look. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, tropical fruits like papaya and guava, tomatoes, and vegetables like broccoli, kale and snow peas.
Vitamin E is another antioxidant vitamin that helps keep skin healthy by fighting free radical damage and promoting healthy cell regeneration and wound healing. Vitamin E is found abundantly in nuts and seeds, namely sunflower seeds and almond, avocados, spinach, and olive oil to name just a few foods.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids are essential fatty acids that can’t be made by the body and must be sourced from food. They help your body fight inflammation which can prevent premature aging and improve skin health, including inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Foods rich in omega 3’s include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, flax seeds, walnuts and chia seeds.
Selenium is a powerful antioxidant mineral that protects the skin. It is abundant in brazil nuts, eggs, fish and shellfish. Just 4 brazil nuts provide 100% of your recommended daily intake of selenium.
Zinc is a powerful antioxidant mineral that also protects the skin from damage and promotes wound repair and has been used successfully in many dermatological therapies. Zinc is abundant in shellfish, beef, and pumpkin seeds.
The bottom line
There’s no miracle cure for healthy, youthful vibrant skin care. The trick is to hydrate, moisturize, exfoliate, cleanse, protect, control and nourish your skin from the inside out. You don’t need a cabinet full of expensive products to do it either. Follow the advice above, and you’ll be well on your way to caring for the skin you’re in.
