5 Tips to Keep Dry Skin at Bay This Winter

Anyone else experiencing some serious winter skin blues right now? Dry peeling lips, brittle cuticles, rough elbows, and itchiness from dehydrated skin are all signs that winter is effecting your skins moisture barrier

Winter wreaks havoc on the skin. Why? Two major reasons.

1. Your skin produces less lipids during during colder months so it needs extra moisture!
2. Moving from cold outdoor temps to over-heated indoor temps creates a constant environmental change that can zap skin of moisture.

Add washing your hands about 1000x a day to keep flus and colds at bay and you’ve got a recipe for disaster skin.

Ready to get skin back to happy and healthy? Read on for my top 5 winter skin tips!

1. Layer it up.

   Just like you would when heading out the door to keep your body warm, you’re going to want to layer on the moisture to keep skin hydrated. An aesthetician once gave me this advice and it’s worked wonders for me in the past. I highly recommend doing a combination of lotion, oil/serum, and then a balm daily for body and face.  

2. Exfoliate, but not too much.

   Help skin naturally rid itself of dead skin cells but don’t go overboard or you’ll just exacerbate the issue. 1-2 times a week, max! For the face, use something gentle like this or a konjac sponge (I am gaga over this one). For the body, a natural loofah sponge or an E+B scrub bar does the trick (bonus cocoa butter and shea butter will stay on the skin trapping some of that water on the skin). For the lips, try this super easy lip scrub recipe I developed.

3. Don’t overdo it.

   I know it’s cold outside and there’s nothing like a hot shower or bath BUT that ultra hot water robs skin of its natural moisture. Not a good start for your skin! Keep the temp warm but not crazy hot. Use a gentle cleanser that doesn't strip your skin of it's natural moisture (a good option is a our bar soap).

4. Re-apply moisturizers, often.

   Bring hydrating balms and lotions with you and reapply as needed, especially after washing hands or removing gloves. Spritz skin with our room + body spray, then apply some skin balm to add even more moisture to your skin on the go. Or keep a bottle of our lotion at your desk or on your bedside table for easy access to instant hydration.

5. Drink a lot of water!

   This helps your skin from the inside out! Drinking cold water may not seem very appealing when it’s cold outside so try drinking hot/warm water with lemon or room temp water. Or if you don't mind the caffeine, drink coffee or tea. Research has shown that while caffeine is a diuretic, the fluids in things like tea and water counter-balance that effect.*

*mayclinic.com - Do caffeinated drinks, such as coffee or energy drinks, hydrate you as well as water?