If you're anything like me you have a love-hate relationship with this time of year.
What I mean is you love the holiday season and all the festivities but could do without the cold temperatures, harsh winds, and blazing hot heaters on your already dry, cracking, and itchy skin.
Are you making any of these mistakes that could be making your dry skin worse? See the list below.
There are a few simple things you can do to help your skin from becoming angry, dry, flaking, or cracking this winter and maintain your self-confidence.
#1 You don't cover up bare skin when you go outside
Don't wait for the temps to drop below freezing before you start wearing gloves and scarves. Keep a pair of gloves and a scarf in your purse, car, or gym bag at all times. Even if the temperature isn't super cold, it's better to be safe than sorry.
#2 Hot showers are drying out your skin
Yes, they feel so good when you're in a hot shower, but if you're in there for more than 5-10 minutes with hot water, that can be drying to the skin causing your skin to lose moisture.
#3 You towel rub your skin dry after showering or hand washing
Always and forever (whenever possible) gently pat off excess water and rub your hands dry the rest of the way to keep moisture in your skin, rather than unknowingly over-drying your hands.
#4 Your hand soap and/or body wash has harsh chemicals and fragrances in it
Take a look at the soap and body wash you use every day. The ingredients could actually be causing your skin to dry out, or make problems worse by not containing skin-nourishing ingredients.
#5 Cozying up bare skin to the fireplace
Or any heating source for that matter. Without adding humidity to the air, the forced heat is extremely drying to the skin and can be making your dry skin worse.
If you must warm up next to the fire, make sure to cover up any exposed skin to protect it.
#6 You use any 'ole lotion to moisturize your skin
Reading the ingredients in your lotions and creams is essential to helping your skin repair itself. Pick ones with clean, quality ingredients that don't contain any parabens, fragrances, or alcohol in them.
If you need help deciphering ingredients the 'Think Dirty' app is free to download and can help you understand exactly what you're putting on your skin and how clean or not the product is.
#7 You don't moisturize before going to bed
The skin and body repair its-self at night while you sleep. Give your skin a helping hand by applying a quality, clean moisturizer to the hands, chest, neck, and face areas before going to bed that way it can soak into your skin with little to no interruption (i.e. face touching, hand washing, etc.).
A few of my favorite things:
Peppermint & Coconut Moisturizing Exfoliator because it feels like a spa treatment in the shower and it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth.
Alcohol-free witch hazel immediately after pat drying from the shower. It helps to tighten and tone my pores. It's my secret weapon that you can purchase at any Health Food, Target, or Whole Foods Market store.
The Sweet Grove Coconut Body Creme immediately after showering to lock and seal in the moisture all day long. You can use it on your hands, chest, neck, and face day and night plus it also soothes dry, itchy skin in a pinch--a must during the winter months. Plus you only need a pea-sized amount at a time to see a difference.
Copyright Pure & Coco | All rights reserved 2019