Winter has set in with its lovely, bracing chill in the air and as we all know, this cold weather causes the glands of the skin to become less active and robs skin of its moisture, leaving it dry, flaky and itchy. And as one grows older, winter dryness gets worse; it affects one with greater intensity. Facial skin feels dry and itchy, lips chapped and cracked and knees, heels, wrists, elbows, upper arms – all become rough and you can't afford to neglect them.
Even though the face is just a small part of your anatomy it is one of the most exposed parts and hence has to bear the brunt of cold weather. So be sure to nourish it with a good nourishing cream or a cold cream, twice a day depending upon the intensity of the weather and its effects on your skin. You also cannot afford to neglect other parts of the body especially your upper arms, legs, nape, shoulders and waist.
Take your time to indulge in that luxury called oil-bath at least once a week On other days just try and smooth almond or olive oil all over your face and throat. While almond oil makes skin satin smooth, silky and soft olive oil is an ideal remedy for sensitive and chapped skin. (See oils for smooth skin and how to get silky smooth skin with oils.) Then splash warm water over your face. While your skin is still moist and warm, apply cold cream all over, from hair line to the chin, and massage it lightly. Remove with a tissue. Cream again and tissue a second time. Then dash on cold water and pat dry. Do this once a day. This will not only make your skin softer and smoother but also helps prevent flakiness, chapping and fine lines and also helps to tone your facial skin. If you wish to pamper yourself masks and face packs, then use hydrating face masks such as these. Also smear a bit of olive /almond or coconut oil on your hands and legs as well. Following the above routine religiously helps keep your facial skin as well as the skin from other parts of the body healthy, well-nourished, moisturized and slightly aglow throughout the harsh winter days.
Once in a week, before going to bed, wash your face, throat, hands, arms and feet with warm water. Then clean these parts with camphorated lotion or oil. This cleanses and softens your skin. By the way here are some terrific soothers for your feet. For rough edges, massage your knees, heels, wrists and elbows with baby oil and sink them in warm water before bathing. Then apply a mild soap or a body wash using a loofah, brush or a sponge to rub them thoroughly. Rinse and dry. Smooth a hand and body lotion all over. See to it that the water you use for your bath is lukewarm, neither too hot nor too cold. Keep handy supplies of cream or lotions in your bathroom, kitchen sink and on your dressing table. A massage with these creams/lotions, especially after you wash your hands, do dishes or after pressing your clothes will do wonders to the texture of your hands. Protect your nails from cold by rubbing them on the smooth side of the emery board once a week. Apply cuticle/nail cream after removing all ridges. Healthy and nicely manicured nails are thus within your reach. Some people often get chilblains during winter days. Here are some home-remedies to get over this malady.
Follow these tips to combat winter dryness and you can surely look your best with a soft, smooth, nourished and glowing complexion even on the bitterest wintry day! You might also want to check my winter skin and hair care routine.
Wow that's superb! I will keep an eye on your post
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice info. I really liked it. Please keep writing stuff like this.
ReplyDeleteProtect your hair this season from the harsh winter weather, here’s a few tips…
ReplyDeleteTemperamental winter weather from thunderstorms to snowstorms can cause your hair to look frightful. Keep your beauty routine simple by shampooing regularly and limiting the use of styling products like waxes and gels. Why? When moisture hits your mane, strands turn sticky and flat. Instead use a styling cream such as sleek.look by Matrix.
If your battle is against cold dry air, avoid over shampooing, which can strip natural oils from the hair causing it to look flat and limp. Jet recommends the use of a deep conditioning mask to restore moisture once a week such as Paul Mitchell’s The Masque.
An added tip for those dreaded static moments, keep a dryer sheet in your purse to run over tresses for a quick fix!
Use hand lotion regularly. ditch the Vaseline-it plugs the pores, is not water soluble and can cause your skin to break out.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's a ton of great information
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I haven’t seen a blog entry this thorough!
ReplyDeleteNail care is an area we often take for granted, but if you have ever had a nail infection or fungus, you probably learned how important this part of anatomy is. Nails perform many functions and have a cosmetic side as well. Women love to polish their nails and men love to see those polished nails!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't recommend putting on olive oil. Try Aqua Fusion products from Lancome. If your on a budget, try YestoCarrots night cream from Walgreens. I think any night cream will help. Just be careful on how much oil the cream contains.
ReplyDeleteAlso, try yogurt packs. Just take a tablespoon of any yogurt and leave it on your face for 10-15 minutes. Then wash off.
You have to use moisturizers consistently in order to prevent dry skin. If you aren't using them every day, begin to do that and see if it helps.
ReplyDeleteAlso, try to figure out if there's any common factor among the days when your skin flares up. Is there a connection between the dry skin and a certain type of food, article of clothing, skin care product, etc.? Perhaps you are sensitive to something in your environment.
Try taking Omega 3 capsules - they are great for your body, and help prevent dry skin from the inside out.
Avoid any moisturizer that includes alcohol, especially scents. Look for unscented, hypoallergenic options, especially those that are all natural
Have you tried Eucerin? It's in the skincare aisle...really thick and amazing.
ReplyDeleteA good method for helping dry skin is to slather your hands and feet with Vaseline or Bag Balm and put gloves and socks on while you sleep. It might feel kind of gross, but it's so good for dry skin.
I also suffered from very bad dry skin due to my severe Excezma. Besides drinking plenty of water to hydrate your body from the inside, these are the over-the-counter products that I use and my skin is getting much better.
ReplyDeleteEucerin Plus Intensive Repair Lotion (for the body) with alpha hydroxy gently exfoliates dry, flaky skin while providing intensive moisturization.
and
Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Lotion that also helps with my dry skin.
I think if you try either lotion, you will start to see a difference within 3-4 weeks.
When temperatures drop it affects our skin. We have to take in consideration a few things during the frosty months. Keeping your face protected by always using moisturizers, especially if you have dry skin. Don’t forget the rest of your skin and use body washes instead of harsh soaps. Use lukewarm water and keep hot water off your face and body. Apply moisturizer after showering, while you skin is still damp.The snow has an added ability to damage our skin by reflecting UV rays. Outdoor sports like skiing and snowboarding are fun but remember to wear a SPF of 15 or more. Even your eyes should be protected, so wear sunglasses.
ReplyDeleteNail care is an area we often take for granted, but if you have ever had a nail infection or fungus, you probably learned how important this part of anatomy is. Nails perform many functions and have a cosmetic side as well. Women love to polish their nails and men love to see those polished nails!
ReplyDelete- Don’t take bath with the water that is quite hot. The hot water eradicates the moisture of the skin and therefore generates wrinkles. Skin gets affected not only with enough heat of sun but also with too much cold wind. If you want to take the heat of sun, keep the back in front of sun. It is suggested to use sun-cream. If you go for facial, it should be as per demand of weather. Use of almond cream should be least in the winter. Use the feel of mask as well. It keeps the skin tight. The skin starts cracking in the winter. If you don’t take care of it in near the beginning; then it gets damaged later.
ReplyDeleteWinter is a season when dead and dry skin gets accumulated very fast; one is required to exfoliate the entire body at least twice a week. Exfoliation will allow the skin to soak up more moisture and remain moisturized for a long time. There is no production of oil from oil glands of skin in winter. This is because of the low outer temperature and central heating. In this condition, there is more loss of water from the skin. This might result in premature wrinkled skin. All these conditions can be avoided by skin exfoliation
ReplyDeleteJust apply a bit of natural yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, on your face avoiding areas around the eyes. Relax for 10-15 minutes and rinse your face with cool water.
ReplyDeleteThis mask softens, rejuvenates, and restores a natural pH balance of your skin, thus, protecting it from negative influences of winter air.
thank you Aparna! another great idea.
ReplyDeleteWinter care for your skin is so so important! Glad the post was helpful.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog post very interesting and I hope to see from the responses whether it does work. Hopefully it does!
ReplyDeleteIn winter, mix a few drops of honey and lemon juice and massage gently on your face for a few minutes. Wash with lukewarm water after 10-15 minutes. It will leave your skin glowing.
ReplyDeleteSilk keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer.
ReplyDeleteI love these posts! I can not wait to try some of these.
ReplyDeleteAlmond oil is especially helpful in the winter, when skin becomes dry and rough. Apply almond oil on face, neck and hands every night before you go to sleep, you are 100 % sure to wake up with a glowing face and body. Don’t fret about being oily all night, almond oil gets absorbed into the skin within 30 minutes.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, rub heated almond oil on your hands and feet, including the sole, to relax and rejuvenate them. This will help moisturize the tough skin, and give you softer, smoother skin.
During winters, you could add Olive oil to your face packs in order to prevent your skin from feeling dried up. Your skin will remain hydrated and nourished throughout.
ReplyDelete