As winter approaches and its cold dry air wreaks havoc on your daily routine, you will also notice subtle changes in your skin.
The change in outdoor temperature and warm indoor climate will trigger rosy cheeks, dryness, tautness and often ashiness. People with normal, combination or oily skin will feel their skin getting drier. Those who already have dry or sensitive skin may see it worsen to a flaky, inflamed appearance reminiscent of eczema (and may very well be eczema).
Why does this happen?
The cold winter air and harsh winds draws moisture out of the skin and because we also try to keep warm, this further contributes to the drying of your skin.
What can be done about it?
The winter skin situation is far from hopeless. There are many things that you can do to help keep your skin hydrated and smooth through the colder months.
Here are some of our tips:
- Hydrate your skin
While drinking glasses of water will help hydration, you can also use products to protect your skin from the cold dry air. We recommend using topical beauty products such as Scout Cosmetics Skin Care Organic Daily C Plus Gel and Kosmea Hydrating Rosewater Mist that will help your skin retain its moisture.
You can also keep your skin hydrated from the inside by taking supplements such as Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Fish Oil with Lemon, Amazonia Raw Immune and Herbs of Gold Vitamin C.
- Moisturise when required
If your skin feels dry, itchy or flaky, using a good moisturiser will help to overcome this issue. But don’t just choose any moisturiser. Choose ones that have non-clogging oils such as avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil or almond oil. Choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for “nonclogging” oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil.
A’Kin 24 hour Unscented Facial Moisturiser and Miessence Rejuvenating Moisturiser are popular as they help restore the moisture in your skin and improve its condition.
- Avoid extremes in temperature
While it may be difficult to avoid the cold outdoor temperatures, you can avoid turning up the indoor heat. High indoor temperatures will only cause your skin to dry out. Regardless of whether you use a heater or wood fire try to keep room temperature within reason.
You can also go the eco-friendly route and forgo the heater and just throw on fuzzy jumpers, use extra blankets and drink lots of hot chamomile tea.
On the subject of extreme temperature, the temperature of your water in your bath or shower should also be reasonable. Lukewarm baths and showers are best as they don’t aggravate your skin condition. Don’t forget to moisturise!
- Maintain a healthy diet
Winter shouldn’t be an excuse for eating poorly and you can still eat nutritious comfort foods. Eat seasonal wholefoods, warm vegetable-based soups, indulge in hearty stews and warm winter salads to nourish your body through the colder months.
Check out our popular winter vegetable broth/soup recipe here.
- Don’t forget the lips
Don’t forget to moisturise your lips as they are prone to chapping in winter. We recommend Trilogy Rosehip Oil Lip Balm and Weleda Everon Lip Balm to protect your lips from the harsh cool climate.
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