Baby, it's cold outside! While there are some perks attached to dropping temperatures, (think cozy sweaters and gorgeous boots in heavy rotation), wintertime eczema flair-ups, increased rosacea symptoms, and raw chapped noses don’t make the list. Cold weather wreaks havoc on the thin outer layer of our epidermis, and cracked dry skin can create an invitation for bacteria and potential infection. We’ve put together a guide for a simple daily routine to help combat the almighty winter rash.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Drink plenty of water. How much? The Mayo Clinic recommends 3.7L of fluids a day for men and 2.7L for women. So grab that reusable water bottle, get your coziest mug, and start hydrating. P.S. herbal tea counts!
Run A Humidifier
The drier the air, the drier your skin! As the air becomes drier outside, we tend to create even drier climates indoors by cranking up the heat. Running a humidifier is a great way to add moisture to the air around you and keep your home and skin more balanced. For added effect, pair this with lowering the thermostat to avoid drying out.
Avoid Long, Hot Showers
As tempting as it may be to take a scalding hot shower to thaw out from the cold, extremely hot water can lead to skin irritation and surface dehydration. Try for lukewarm, or at the very least, use lukewarm water when cleansing your face, and be sure to apply a natural body lotion straight out of the shower while your skin is still a little damp to lock in that moisture!
Layer Your Skincare
When you’re looking to increase hydration in the skin, you can double up on your moisture intake by adding an additional layer. In the winter, we suggest following these steps: cleanse, exfoliate, tone, serum, moisturizer, facial oil, and lastly, of course, a mineral SPF. By adding one or two more layers to your natural skincare routine you can dramatically increase the look and texture of dry facial skin. Consider using a richer cream or balm in place of a lighter moisturizer, adding in a hydrating serum for an extra drink, and sealing everything in with a natural facial oil as that final step before SPF. When it comes to moisture, our crowd-pleasing brand for all skin types is CV Skinlabs. They are backed by scientific research and a team of leading holistic chemists, dermatologists, toxicologists, and doctors. They offer a hydrating and moisturizing daily facial moisturizer, a calming body lotion, along with a rich Restorative Balm that is excellent for winter use. Another bomb balm - Josh Rosebrook’s Vital Balm puts flakey skin to rest. His products are fueled by the potency and efficacy of plants and botanicals. Exfoliating is often overlooked in the winter but is an important step to slough off those dry skin cells and allow products to be better absorbed. Here are some of our favs.
Pro Tip: Feeling really dry? Try this! Boost your skin's suppleness and hydration content by spritzing your hydrating toner between EACH step of your skincare routine. Cleanse - spritz. Apply serum - spritz. Apply your moisturizer - (you guessed it) spritz again! It's a moisture sandwich! Adding a layer of hydrating toner between each layer of your skincare will boost the efficacy of each product and will lock in more hydration than you knew possible! Just always remember to have your last step (before SPF) as a moisturizer or oil. You need to seal in the hydration. Not doing so will result in trans-epidermal water loss and will kind of "ruin" all of those steps you just did!
Pucker Up
Applying a nourishing product to treat and prevent dry, cracked lips will assist with regeneration overnight. The holy grail product for providing lips with a hydrated and plump feel is Fitglow Beauty’s Night Serum (check out some of our customer reviews). This liquid gold serum contains plant ceramides and pomegranate sterols which will increase lip volume and diminish fine lines. On a budget? One of our Green Kiss lip balms will add a nice protective layer with its hydrating plant oils and butters.
"Life Changing" - Customer Madeline on Fitglow's Night Serum
Keep On SPF'ing!
The sun can be hard to find in the winter, but don’t be fooled. Protection against harmful UV rays is needed rain or shine, year-round. Check out our clean, mineral SPF options here as your final step.
Eat In Season
Be conscious of where your food is coming from. Our main squeeze Mother Nature intends for us to eat foods that are produced at certain times of year, to nourish the body in different ways for different seasons. During the winter, increasing healthy fats and oils to your diet is a great way to nourish your body and feed your skin. (We love this creamy butternut squash winter soup). When eating this way, food is generally more affordable, easier to digest, and can sure taste better than foods that have been pumped with preservatives, treated with ripening agents, frozen, and shipped. To learn more about seasonal produce, click here.
Don’t Forget Your Hands
Our paws take an extra beating in the winter - extra dryness is to be expected. Applying a natural hand cream throughout the day is of course common advice, but something else to watch out for is ensuring your hand sanitizer is natural and contains skin moisturizing agents. We love our GK Apothecary Hand Sanitizer for its simple formula (WHO approved), its glass refill bottle option, and its clean, natural fragrance.
Get the best moisture for your skin type this winter by chatting with one of our Green Kiss Educators today.
All copy found on The Green Kiss website is written for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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