Despite being an Eskimo by birth, I detest winter! I don’t like the cold, at all. I’d much rather be in my flip-flops, and even better, hanging out at the beach.
Luckily, we live in a climate where the weather is relatively milder than in Iowa, where I grew up. But, it’s still not the beach! We have to have heat running, so not only am I in pure sinus Hell due to the dryness, but my skin suffers. My biggest winter beauty pet peeve is that I get flaky, itchy, skin. My face doesn’t suffer so much because I always pay the utmost attention to it. But, my body is what gives me aggravation during the winter months. My legs turn ashy. My cuticles get dry and painful. Uggghhhh…
Guess it’s time to get out the humidifier. I’m dreading it, though, because do you know what that means? Winter is here. If you’ve been keeping up with this website, you know I’ve been in denial about fall and winter for a LONG time. I feel like a whiny child (did someone say “wine?”) who does not want to go the doctor and get a shot!
Luckily, there are some great ways to help with the winter skin woes. Some of my favorite tricks are:
-Exfoliate regularly. When I’m in the shower, I use an exfoliating cloth or loofah sponge on my arms and legs. You can also use a body wash with scrubbing particles to slough off dry, dead skin.
-Moisturize while your skin is still damp. As soon as I get out of the shower, I use coconut oil or a shea butter based moisturizer; and I slather it on while my skin is still damp to lock in moisture. Or, if you’re really dry, use coconut oil on damp skin, then after 20 minutes or so, use a cream or lotion.
-Show extra love to your hands. When my hands get especially dry, I exfoliate them with a glycolic scrub, then apply a glycerin or lanolin based moisturizer, and wear cotton gloves for an hour, or longer if I can stand it! After removing the gloves, I apply cuticle oil to my nail areas.
-Don’t use overly hot water in the shower or bath. I admit it, I LOVE a steaming, scalding shower or bath, especially when it’s cold outside! But, water that is too hot can result in stripped, dry skin. So try to resist the urge to let it get too hot.
-Stay hydrated. I am always drinking something in the summer, but in the winter, it just doesn’t sound good. Lately, I’ve been drinking hot chai-spiced oolong tea, with no sweetener or creamer. I stay hydrated with no calories, and the hot tea and spices are perfect for cold weather.
Finally, I just keep hoping that maybe winter will go by quickly so I can put my flip-flops back on!
Do you have any winter skin tips? Scroll down to comment below!
