When the cool weather sets in, it’s not only the clothes you wear that you’ll want to change up. It also pays to switch up your skin routine, too. And this goes for the entire fam bam.
“In winter our skin cries out for some extra help and attention,” Julia Simmonds, Pharmacist and Founder of Itchy Baby Co, says.
To stop your family’s skin becoming itchy, dry or flaky during the winter months, here Julia shares her top five tips for how to protect your skin against the elements. Brrrrr! Mama, it’s getting cold outside.
1. Apply moisturiser immediately after bath and shower time
And by immediately after, I mean within the first two minutes of turning the tap off. This is when the skin can soak up the most hydration from using a moisturiser and will prevent extra water loss at the skin’s surface.
2. Stop using soap
Soap has ingredients that dry the skin and strip the skin of its natural protective oils. Pharmacies and health food stores carry many options for soap alternatives, which often have natural moisturising and nourishing ingredients.
3. At night use a thicker moisturiser
A heavier moisturiser, or ointment, stays on the skin for longer, preventing water loss and strengthening the skin’s natural barrier. One way to know if your moisturiser is thick enough is to check that the first ingredient listed isn’t water. Many creams and lotions will have water listed as their first ingredient. Water evaporates quickly from the skin, taking some of the body’s hydration with it. If you don’t have time to put a thick moisturiser on all over (because, mama life), you can just focus on your legs and hands, which can really suffer through winter.
4. Follow tea and coffee with water
For every hot tea or coffee you drink to warm up, drink two glasses of water. Tea and coffee can have a dehydrating effect on the body and it’s a good idea to replenish water during winter.
5. Layer up and cocoon your skin
Rather than cranking up the moisture-sapping indoor heating every time you – or the little ones – feel the cold at home, first try and opt for extra layers of clothes in breathable cottons. And if that doesn’t work, switch the heating on. You only live once, right?
You might also like BABY: The secret to natural skincare without the nasties, BEAUTY: 5 of the best homemade body scrubs, and HEALTH: How to have the ultimate power nap.
