5 Winter Skin Tips
It is said "your face is your calling card"
We never want to take our skin for granted. It literally needs to last a lifetime. Just like we maintain our house or car, winterizing our skin is also a must. This is not a job we can hire out either. With a few simple tweaks and changes to our summer routine, we can help our skin to be its best.
1. Use Nourishing Masks for Winter Radiance
During the winter months, our facial skin can seem dull and pale; partly because those capillaries restrict with the cold. Outdoor activities can put colour back in our cheeks but only temporarily so our faces may still be wan and pale in winter.As we don’t wish to strip the epidermis of its natural oils at this time of year, one of the best ways to both cleanse and bring radiance to our faces is by using a special facial mask. The right kind of mask. Will be anhydrous (oil, not water-based formula) to protect and add to our own skin lipids.These more pampering oil-based masks need not be greasy and can still act as cleansers. It is possible to have anhydrous, moisturizing mask by adding avocado puree or yogurt to our clay masks. Ideal as a winter facial for you to make at home and use for a once-a-week pampering session.
2. Go Gentle on the Cleansing in Winter
Swap any harsher, sebum-stripping cleansers and toners for gentler emulsion-based versions. Moisturizing while your skin is still damp will lock the water in.
3. Wash in Luke-warm Water
We don’t mean take a tepid or cold shower, though certainly feel free to if you dare. It is tempting in colder weather to enjoy a really hot shower and wash our hands and faces with a good splash of hot water. However, when your hands are under siege from harsh weather they are drier and more prone to chapping and if extremely aggravated, they can from one day to the next become very raw and sore especially between the fingers. Wash your face and hands in tepid water to avoid stripping them of their lipids and moisturise them immediately.Cooler water at the start and end of a shower – intermittently with warmer water – can help increase overall circulation by stimulating the blood flow in the skin’s capillaries.
4. Give your lips extra TLC
If you are a regular lipstick wearer, in theory your lips should be better protected as you will be applying a lipid layer. However, do you know what ingredients go into your favourite lippy? Lipsticks are typically composed of petroleum and mineral oils along with natural soft and hard waxes and oils like coconut, jojoba and castor, as well as lanolin and of course colour pigments. Petroleum will act as a barrier layer to reduce moisture loss from the skin but has nurturing, or nourishing value as lip care ingredient.
Natural lip balms are wonderful! Made with butters, waxes and extracts of various fruits or berries. Winter lips though can get dry and develop flakey and stringy bits of skin and feel rough. They could do with some TLC and maintenance before we can protect and nourish them. A lip scrub to buff your lips gently as well as moisturize will give you a smooth base on which to apply the next winter barrier, layer of protection.
5. Use Hydrating Face Serums
It’s a natural choice to run for a more oil-rich moisturizer or butter in winter, to aid both our hands and face. Their nourishing emulsions with heavier textures are ideally suited to protecting our skin from the elements of winter. However, use a serum under your regular winter moisturizer to give your face a nourishing treat to beat the winter blues. There are no one-size-fits-all serums so do your homework on which type is best for you and your skin. Serums generally target specific skin issues or types, such as dryness or mature skin. They provide moisturizing and barrier-strengthening properties, as well as offering antioxidant and repairing properties.The beauty of serums is that they come in numerous forms. Making it easy to find one to suit not only your skin’s needs but also to work in synergy with your moisturizer.Helping you to put your best face forwardTalk soon!
