Hello everyone! Apologizes for being MIA the last couple weeks. I wasn’t planning to take that much time away from here but I got sick right before Thanksgiving and then I ended up unexpectedly being in another city most of the following week. The last two weeks have been such a blur with Thanksgiving being so late this year, moving right into December Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying your holiday season so far!
This week I thought I’d share some quick tips on a topic that impacts most, if not all of us: caring for winter skin. If you’re experiencing (or warding off) dry, flaky skin, here are some tips for you based on things that I’ve personally found to be helpful.
Turn down the temperature.
A hot shower feels like such a nice escape in the cold, but it can dry out your hair and your skin. And if your skin is already dry, hot water will only irritate it further. Try to keep your showers warm rather than hot.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize.
Everytime you shower, use a moisturizer all over your body right after showering along with a leave-in conditioner in your hair to seal in the moisture before it evaporates. If your feel like a moisturizer alone isn’t doing the job, try layering a body oil under your moisturizer.
Switch up your products.
In the winter months, move to a more gentle cleanser, something milky or a cream cleanser. Avoid alcohol-heavy products as they will only dry out your skin further (note: this means products mostly comprised of alcohol, not a product with a small amount of alcohol in it). If you are already moisturizing and you still have dry, flaky skin try switching out your moisturizer for something heavier–for example, a moisturizer that stays in a jar when you turn it upside down.
Reapply.
If you have dry hands, remember to reapply moisturizer after you wash your hands. You need to keep sealing in that moisture after every wash. Try keeping a bottle of hand lotion next to the hand soap in your home so you don’t forget.
Hyaluronic Acid is your friend.
Hyaluronic Acid (or HA) helps your cells retain moisture. Since that’s what we’re all lacking in the winter months, try adding HA into your skincare routine or adding in some products that contain HA.
SPF.
Some of you may be thinking “why do I need an SPF during winter?” You need SPF all year. We have a sun all year–even if we don’t see it as much this time of year. UV Rays still come through the clouds on dreary days and when it snows, the snow reflects the sun’s rays and increases your risk of UV exposure. Don’t go out without at least an SPF 30 on your face any day of the year.
Try a humidifier.
If you can, you can try adding a humidifier in your home to increase the moisture in the air which will help keep your skin and hair hydrated. Place it in the room you spend the most time in, such as your bedroom.
Don’t forget your scalp.
Like the skin on our body, the skin on our head can often dry out during winter too. To keep your scalp properly hydrated, try giving yourself a scalp massage with conditioner every time you shower. You can either do this in-shower or message in a moisturizing product like coconut oil before you shower and then rise it out (but don’t skip using conditioner in-shower). Follow up by deep conditioning your hair and scalp once a week. I also like to use an oil-based scalp product or oil (like tea tree oil) on the driest parts of my scalp daily or whenever I feel irritation.
Don’t forget your lips.
Keep lip balm on you to apply throughout the day or whenever lips feel dry. You can also apply a heavier lip product before you go to bed at night or use a household product such as coconut or olive oil to keep lips hydrated.
How do you keep your skin hydrated during the winter? Let me know in the comments!