Is your Skin Winter ready?

Fall is coming and old man winter is not too far behind bringing with him moisture robbing cold dry air.  What happened to those summer days when warm moist air kept our skin dewy and glowing? Insert exaggerated sigh here.  My dry skin and I have put together some great tips to keep your skin nourished this winter. Now, grab some pumpkin spice and read on!

First things always first, drink water. 

Water hydrates your body from the inside out, setting up optimal conditions for skin to flourish.  In addition to dry skin, dehydration can cause dry mouth, dizziness, tiredness and headaches. 

Next, be mindful of your environment.  

-Outside, cold winter air dries up the natural oils on our skin, leaving skin feeling tight and making it prone to cracking.  Cover your skin when you go outside, don’t let old man winter steal your glow. 

-Inside, the various types of heat we use often are often dry and lack humidity.  Here, you can insert your own by using humidifiers in room you spend a lot of time in (i.e., bedroom or living room).  This small act can prevent some of the dry out you experience. Add some essential oils to your humidifier to get a total body benefit.

-Deep inside, close the bathroom door when you shower (this may be more challenging for some).  Keeping the warm moist air from your shower inside allows more time for your skin to absorb some moisture. 

Finally, be good to yourself. 

While you’re still in that warm moist bathroom, dry off with a towel by patting dry instead of rubbing the water off your body.  Keeping the skin’s surface slightly damp allows your moisturizer to seal in the moisture from the water giving those surface cells a nourished appearance (Bye Bye Snakeskin). 

Oils- Some oils are better than others.  Vegetable based oils (think jojoba, almond etc.) have structures that are similar to the natural oils in our skin and your body absorbs them nicely (particularly after that warm shower).  Other oils and those applied to already dry skin likely will just sit there collecting dust.

Butters-These thick moisturizers of contain carrier oils to help get moisture into the skin offering better absorption than oils alone.  They should still be used right after showering to lock in moisture. Butters such as Shea or cocoa have proven skin benefits that you don’t want to pass up on. 

Creams- These are thinner than butters and contain water.  The addition of a small amount of water allows the oils and butter to pass into the skin more readily on skin that is already dry.

Lotions-These may not cut it, especially in the winter time. Lotion is essentially a mix of oil/butter and a lot of water.  The water will provide the medium for the oil/butter to get into the skin however; you will most likely have to reapply more often to keep dry skin from making an appearance.

Ready to saturate your skin in some all natural goodness? Check out Bel Homme’s BARE Body Butter available in 3 scents sure to activate the senses and leave your skin summertime fine!