In Winter, our skin cries out for some extra love. Here, are five ways to keep it healthy and functioning at its best this season.
Our skin is more than just a covering. It is our body’s largest organ. So we need to do our best to look after it.
Maintaining healthy skin means we are better protected from losing essential fluids, including water. And also better equipped to stop irritants from the environment making their way to the inside of our bodies causing potential inflammation and infection.
“IN WINTER OUR SKIN CRIES OUT FOR SOME EXTRA HELP AND ATTENTION.”
One of the ways our skin tells us we need to give it some attention, is when it becomes itchy, dry and flaky. By the time this has happened we have already lost a lot of our body’s water through the skin and its protective function is already weakened.
So here are some of our fav tried-and-tested tips for caring for your goddess bod during Winter.
1. Turn the temp down
There’s no denying that during Winter a hot shower feels heaven when you have a case of the chills.
If you want to be kind to your skin – especially when washing your face – you need to turn the temperature down.
If you opt for lukewarm water you avoid the hot water stripping your skin of protective oils.
2. Say no to soap
We’ve said this one before and we’ll refer to it again – soap has ingredients which dry the skin and strip the skin of it’s natural protective oils.
Pharmacies and health food stores carry many options for soap alternatives which often have moisturising and nourishing natural ingredients to work with your skin and keep it healthy.
3. Hydrate from the inside out
Beauty really does come from within, mama! So during Winter pay extra attention to eating foods that are high in water content.
Think: watermelon, apples, orange, kiwis and watery veggies like celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and carrots.
It also pays to ensure you are adding foods to your diet that are high in vitamin C and zinc to help support the production of collagen and elastin.
4. Don’t forget to apply SPF
Just because it’s Winter, it doesn’t mean you can skip the sunscreen.
Yes, it is true that there’s less UVB around in winter, however, UVA are still out and about and is enough to age our skin. NO, THANKS!
So, mama, don’t forget to slip, slap, slop.
5. Up the H20
It goes without saying that our skin will become drier and often more sensitive with the onset of colder weather and heaters – hello dry, flaky skin.
Keep these Winter skin conundrums at bay by paying extra attention to staying hydrated. To do this, up the water you drink during the day and where you can swap coffee for a green or herbal tea, which have great anti-oxidant effects.
Let’s be clear: we’re not suggesting skipping coffee altogether – that’s pure madness – but maybe switch out your second or third cup for something else.
