As soon as the weather gets colder, my face and body seem to automatically get dryer. My lips peel more, my feet and hands are dryer, and exfoliating is still apart of the routine. Layering products on the skin is a great way to hold moisture in your skin and defend it from the cooler climate. Even thou my skin is changing, I'm learning more and more what works best for my skin during the fall and winter seasons. Creamer cleansers, washes, body butters, and heavier oils - something I need to keep my skin healthy and hydrated. However, there is nothing more effective than internal hydration. Keeping your body hydrated from the inside out does a hell of a job in keeping your body healthy, subtle, soft and crackly free! LOL
Lip Skin Care
Our lips can become one of the driest parts of the body during the colder months. It is also the easiest to forget to take care of. Because the winter takes a lot from them. The cold wind of winter damages your lips, by making them dry, cracked or chapped. You feel constant pain, flaking, and peeling. You may feel bleeding from your lips in winter if the lips remain chapped severely. Our skin there is the most sensitive part of the body because the lips have no oil glands to keep them moisturized.
Layering my products I find work best - especially when I have exfoliated my lips prior to application. Quick tip- a toothbrush with a natural scrub is a great option for exfoliating them. I typically exfoliate my lips every 2 weeks or when needed to keep them smooth and healthy.
Here are some things to stay away from:
Lip balm containing alcohol, retinol, and menthol
Not removing lipstick or lip makeup during sleeping
Lip care products made with chemical elements
Intake of much alcohol
Excessive use of lipsticks
Body dehydration
Lip licking, lip touching or lip biting
Facial Skin Care : Face Oil + Cream
The most affected part of the body is the face. The onslaught of the winds, cold temperatures, harsh sun rays and imbalanced pH make the skin appear dull, dark and dry during winters.
Oils are especially effective in winter months, when dry indoor heat and cold temperatures deplete the moisture levels in your skin. Since the natural water content in your skin gives it a supple feel, you need to hold in moisture without clogging pores. Oils work to protect your skin’s natural barrier and they play nicely with more high-tech skin care products.
Layering moisture and treatment products in the winter can really boost the effectiveness of both products. You always want to start with the product that is thinnest in consistency. So maybe a serum that has peptides to fight aging goes on first. Then you add a facial oil, almost like a film, to seal it in. If you are really dry, you can use a serum, then a moisturizing lotion or cream.
Toner for Winter Care
Though the winter air seems refreshing after a long hot summer, it is actually more harmful than helpful to your skin. One of the most important skin care products to have on hand in these chilly months is toner.
Toner remove residue that may have been left behind by your cleanser, but it is the first step in moisturizing your skin. Applying the right toner will moisturize the skin while creating a shield against bacteria, and normalize pH levels in the skin. But be careful for toners that tout alcohol in their ingredient list; alcohol is drying to the skin and can actually make skin feel tight – a sign your skin is too dry
When washing your face, it is also important to remember that hot water dries out the skin. Use lukewarm temperature water for the best results, and immediately apply toner while the skin is still wet. This will provide the best results for moisturized skin and will help to close your pores with a protective barrier.
So during these colder months remember the importance of using a toner.
Creamy + Exfoliating Cleanser
Certain winter lifestyle habits such as hot showers and baths can really suck the moisture right out of your skin. Luke warm water is better for your face and body.
Gel & foam cleansers are great for deeply cleansing the skin when it's hot and humid but can be a bit stripping when it's cooler outside. Switching to a more hydrating cleanser during the colder months is more effective to comebat the harsh climate. Milk and cream cleansers, as well as, the oil cleansing method, are great - they will leave a light layer of hydration on the skin. There are cleansers out there that can still treat other issues that you may be experiencing such as: acne, blackheads and patchy dry skin.
Body Cream
After cleansing our bodies what we put on our skin is important to protect from those elements. Switching to a milky, and creamer lotions or body creams, as well as, a heavier oil will leave a thicker layer and barrier of hydration on the skin. There are creams and oils out there that can still treat other issues that you may be experiencing such as: acne, blackheads and patchy dry skin. I definitely use more body creams and thicker lotions in the fall and winter than in the hotter months of the year. I typically use lighter products during the hotter months.
photography by Hologram Productions