Winter Weather Skin Care
Winter is a great time in the Pacific Northwest. Snow covered mountains, blustery blue sky days and lots of outdoor fun. That said, I know my skin needs a different routine to look and feel its best as I take advantage of all that’s great about winter in the Northwest.
The cool weather of fall and winter can be rough on your skin. Even though around the world the climates vary, the problems our skin experiences are similar. In the fall and winter, your skin deals with a lot of harsh environments, strong winds, cold air, indoor heaters, rain, snow, sleet and an overall lack of a good healthy dose of sunlight.
All of these environmental elements will cause dry skin that more easily reddens, chaps, and cracks. Fortunately, there are ample– and simple ways, to protect and rescue winter skin.
Winter Skin Care
Your skin’s goals when it is cold out should be to moisturize, exfoliate and moisturize again. Keep moisture in mind with all the choices you make in your skin care regime. Your skin functions differently in the cooler months so you need to change your routines.
Cleanse: Now is the time of year when you need to put away your foaming and soap cleansers and stock up on crème cleansers. Cleansing crèmes, lotions, and milks are very effective cleansers and they do not contain the typical surfactant or detergent ingredients that most cleansing gels contain which can be too harsh on your skin in the cold months. The Paramount Facial Cleanser fits the bill.
Tone: Put away your astringents and switch to a toner for fall and winter. Your skin needs to be soothed and balanced and not dried out further by an astringent. Tea Tree and Vinegar Facial Toner is good for all skin types and is wonderful for spritzing on your skin. You can even keep a travel size bottle in your carry on to refresh your skin while flying.
Moisturize Your Face: Choose heavier crèmes in the winter than you would in the summer months. Feel free to use your heavy eye crème around your lips and entire face. If your skin is itching it is because the dry air is causing the moisture in the top layer of your skin to evaporate quickly. You will need to slather those areas with extra moisture. Never be afraid of using pure oils on your skin in the cold months. A bottle of Jojoba Oil or Olive Oil is a great thing to have on hand all fall and winter, as is the Exquisite Face & Body Oil with Pumpkin, Pomegranate and Cranberry Oils. Under Eye Nourishing Creme is great for eyes and around your lips — it’s soothing and hydrating and has a lovely velvet fee.
Moisturize Your Hands & Body: During the cold and flu season you should wash your hands liberally but be certain to apply a heavy hand crème every time you wash your hands. Balms and butters with Shea, Calendula, Cocoa, Avocado and Mango terrific body moisturizers in the fall and winter. You can soften up the USDA Certified Organic Barrier Balm with any of a number of lovely carrier oils and Essential Oils to get a soft, scrumptious balm for lips, feet, hands and anywhere in between.
Exfoliate Your Face: Exfoliate twice per week to remove dead skin cells and allow your skin to embrace the extra moisture you are giving it.
Have you ever wondered about the areas of your skin that look as though your skin is flaking off your body? What happens is that during the winter months there are thousands of dry skin cells ready to be sloughed off the surface and they become clumped together with oil which forms what appear to be flakes. Don’t be flaky, exfoliate! Exfoliate your facial skin with crème based exfoliates with jojoba beads.
Exfoliate Your Body: Exfoliate your body with sugar or salt scrubs that are full of rich oils or butters. Your body will soak every ounce of a butter or oil based body scrub. Try adding a citrus Essential Oil to the AHA Mint Walnut Body Polish to bring the sunshine into the shower or your spa.
The key to healthy cold weather skin is to remember to moisturize, exfoliate and moisturize again!
Enjoy!
