Go-To Tips: 5 Tips to Keep Skin Healthy this Winter

Anyone else experiencing some serious winter skin blues right now? I cannot believe how unhappy my skin has been lately. My lips are peeling, I’ve got super dry spots all over my face, my cuticles are brittle, and my skin generally looks sad. Winter can clearly wreak havoc on the skin. Going from windy, cold outdoor environments to overheated apartments and offices is a complete moisture killer. Add washing your hands about 1000x a day to keep flu and colds at bay and you’ve got a recipe for disaster skin. Ready to get skin back to happy and healthy? Me too! 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. Which means you’re already starting off badly when you hop out of the shower. Keep the temp warm but not crazy hot.

4. Re-apply, 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. 

5. Drink a lot of water!

   The heat of summer zaps skin of moisture from the inside out and so do heated homes, cars, and offices. 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. Keep in mind that teas (yes, even herbal ones) and coffee, while warming and pretty awesome pick me ups, are also diuretics which means they cause your body to excrete more water (i.e. pee). Just up your water intake to combat dehydrating effects of those beverages.