Winter is a tough experience for any skin type. Even if you have an oily skin, you may suffer from severe skin dehydration due to prolonged exposure to central air heating, contrasting temperatures, and harsh winds. People with acne can hardly balance the act, torn between the need to calm down those nasty pimples with alcohol-based toners and pimple-drying masks and desperate need to slap on that comfy moisturizer. And those with sensitive skin suffer most of all.
No matter what skin type you have in warmer seasons, winter skin care is all about care . This means putting aside those oil-stripping toners, mattifying gels, face washes with scrubbing particles and face powder. In winter, you have to be mindful and adapt your skin care regimen accordingly.
First of all, in winter your skin needs moisture to keep it supple and healthy. Humectants (to attract and retain moisture) and emollients (for a smoothing and softening effect) are essential, the more the better. That doesn’t mean you have to slick your face in Vaselin. Fortunately, there are smarter solutions.
Gentle cleansing comes first. Stay away from bar soaps, especially antibacterial ones, which not only dry your skin, but in fact help creating new forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Now it's time to try Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, if you haven’t already. With mildest possibly ingredients it can be used either with water or a cotton ball. We loved the way Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser glides on skin, removing even long-lasting mascara. And it washed the sebum clogging our pores (no black dots!), leaving zero residue, so our skin looked calm and flawless, ready to absorb the moisturizer.
Toning is essential in winter. Using a proper toner is more important than most people think. A toner is used to remove the remains of the cleanser. Toners are usually acidic or lower on the PH range. Toner’s also a mild cleanser too, and it can soften your skin and even leave some vitamins. Always tone after cleansing and before moisturizing. For best results, try a toner with less chemical additions to it, such as Fresh Rose Marigold Tonic Water or Facial Toner by Dr.Hauschka.
Treat yourself to a moisturizing mask once a week or after a prolonged exposure to frosty winter bites. Honey Comfort Mask by L’Occitane contains pure honey that gently softens and hydrates the sensitive skin. Caudalie Revitalizing Moisture Grape-Seed Cream Mask is also a nice option. Fresh’s Sugar Face Polish To Go does double duty polishing the skin with brown sugar and exfoliating with strawberries.
Exfoliate your face skin with gentle non-abrasive exfoliators such as Gel Exfoliant Intensive by G.M.Collin. This particle-free citrusy gel is indeed very gentle to skin. Gel Exfoliant Intensive uses enzymatic action of grapefruit and lemon peel oils plus lactic acid and juniper to eliminate dead skin cells when dries on skin and then peeled or rolled by fingertips. Similar (yet less effective) option: Yonka Gommage 305 for Dry or Sensitive Skin.
To dry acne pimples, use tea tree oil and avoid benzoyl peroxide products until spring, they are way too drying. Mix in a drop of essential tea tree oil in a bowl of hot water for a clarifying face steam bath. You may also add diluted tea tree to your favorite toner or a moisturizer for their extra benefits.
Body skin is also undergoes a serious beating by winter. It is dehydrated from static electricity, air heating and chilly winds. Plus, clothing also steals moisture from the skin. To beat the flaky itchy skin start with gentle full body scrubbing with Buffy the Backside Slayer Body Buffer by LUSH. It sloughs dead skin cells and improves the blood circulation with ground almonds, rice and azuke beans mixed in a bar of moisturizing shea and cocoa butters. Such a treat.
Develop a routine for daily complete body moisturizing with a rich body crème such as Dream Cream by LUSH. We absolutely love the scent and the fact that we actually slather on stuff good enough for a decent eye cream: oats, rose essential water, lavender, chamomile and olive oil. Little secret: we even put this herbal-scented lotion to our face, which is irritated and red due to recent freezing rain and chilly winds.
So what are you waiting for? Spring (and Valentine’s Day) is just around the corner, so get ready to shed your clothes and reveal the beautiful skin underneath.
Xeroderma, the medical name for dry skin, occurs most commonly on the lower legs, arms, the sides of the abdomen and thighs and is a very common condition. The use of natural or synthetic cosmetics to cover the appearance of the face and condition of the skin, like controlling the pores and covering blackheads, is common among many cultures.
Skin is one of the most important parts of the body; it's our largest organ. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. The outermost layer of epidermis consists of 25 to 30 layers of dead cells.
If you break out on the skin around your eyes, it could be the shellac in your mascara; buy a shellac-free mascara like Ecco Bella's. When the skin loses moisture it may crack and peel, or become irritated and inflamed. The symptoms most associated with dry skin are: scaling, which is the visible peeling of the outer skin layer, itching, and cracks in the skin.
When the oil glands do not supply enough lubrication to the skin, the skin becomes dehydrated. Nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiencies of vitamin A and the B vitamins can also contribute to dry skin or result in a chronic dry skin condition that's not relieved by anything else. Dry skin can also be a sign of an underactive thyroid.
I can't stress enough the importance of drinking plenty of pure, filtered water - a minimum of a quart a day. Drink freshly extracted carrot juice, if you can, every day; carrot juice is an excellent cleanser for the liver, great for the skin and contains a great deal of nutrients, all beneficial for dry skin, eczema, acne, zits, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and other breakouts. Consider taking cod liver oil or fish oil supplements, in liquid form, every day.
For any skin condition, it's always better to take a natural approach. Dry and pat your skin gently and thoroughly after a bath or shower if it's extremely dry or irritated. Try using a humidifier if the air is dry and you have a severe skin condition.
I buy coconut oil by the gallon; it's cheaper for a whole gallon of coconut oil than a small jar of department store, name-brand moisturizer. Dry skin contributes to fine lines and wrinkles; coconut oil helps prevent the onset by keeping the skin soft and supple. Coconut oil is very inexpensive - a great, cheap home remedy for all skin conditions.
Use coconut oil to remove your make-up at night, like I do; it leaves a fine layer of oil to nourish your skin all night long; but better yet, apply more coconut oil. Apply coconut oil daily to your skin to heal, moisturize and soothe it.
Functions of the skin are disturbed when it's not clean; it becomes more easily damaged, the release of antibacterial compounds decreases and it's more prone to develop infections. Skin that's not clean favors the development of pathogenic organisms; the dead cells continually slough off of the epidermis and mix with the secretions of the sweat and sebaceous glands and the dust found on the skin, to form a layer on its surface.
Call your skin doctor if dryness and itching are preventing you from sleeping. It's time to call your doctor for an appointment when all your home remedies do not relieve your dryness and itching. And did I mention to drink lots and lots of water every day?
Both Julie Gabriel & Helen Hecker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Julie Gabriel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Skin Care, Aromatherapy. Julie Gabriel is an editor and publisher of Toronto Fashion Monitor (), Canada's largest online publication about fashion,. Julie Gabriel's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
Helen Hecker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mortgage, Free Credit Report Score and Pimple. For more information on and dry skin care treatments go to. Helen Hecker's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.