Winter is a particularly tough time for all skin types, especially those of us with delicate Celtic skin. Our face and hands feel extra sensitive when temperatures plummet outside, even the winds bite though scarves and then add the stresses of dry air pumped out from central heating – no wonder our skin feels chapped, dehydrated and inflamed.
When skin gets very dry, it stops functioning properly, so moisture loss increases, creating a worsening vicious cycle. This leads to a very dry skin that is unable to retain any hydration leading to skin looking subpar, itching like the blazes and generally reactive. Skin hurts to touch when sick with flu and you may even see dry skin your eyebrows (eyebrow dandruff)
Replenish humidity.
Dry air is not your skin’s friend in Winter. Use a small humidifier in your bedroom at night (you can add aromatherapy essential oils to this for extra benefits! See free recipes here.) and your home office. A humidifier will add moisture back to the air helping skin stay dewy and moist. If you are unable to use a humidifier in a corporate office, then spray on moisture through the day, a facial tonic like Drench with antioxidants is useful for this, also on long flights..
Winter face moisturiser
Your most important skincare product is your night cream. A healthy skin barrier is the secret to beautiful skin as it both protects and nourishes your skin’s barrier. A good face cream contains antioxidants, humectants, fatty acids and other actives that are used to repair your skin. Oh, if you’ve been using a lighter oil-free product through summer, you may find it is not sufficient protection in the drier colder months.
Moisturize your face at least every morning and every evening before bed. If your skin feels dry during the day, add more. When it’s windy, or temperatures drop suddenly you may find your cheeks feeling taut – simply see this as a sign to dab on a little extra face cream.
Keep some moisturiser in your gym bag and at your office desk so that you can top up with moisture during the day. And once you’re travelling again, keep some in your carry on luggage. All Glow’s face creams are 50ml in non-breakable containers so suitable for your handbag and backpack!
The most hydrating moisturizer ingredients to look for:
– hyaluronic acid, honey, glycerin, aloe vera liquid, rosewater, frankincense hydrosol, geranium hydrosol, lavender hydrosol, lactic acid are all humectants that attract water to the upper layers of skin, helping to maintain moisture levels.
-Shea butter, argan oil, marula, rosehip, lecithin, allantoin, and plant oil high in oleic acid all provide an occlusive barrier that prevents moisture loss.
The key is to replenish after getting your skin wet. So after your shower or bath, pat dry then lock in moisture with your face cream and body lotion.
For the most scrumptious natural ingredients try out Glow’s Try-Me Experience!
Gentle exfoliation
Even though skin feels drier and rougher in winter, is no reason to scrub it with rough exfoliators. Once or twice a week with a gentle rounded polish is fine otherwise you may cause sensitivity. Apart from scrubs made with plastic micro beads, also avoids natural products made with small rough particles like sugar, salt, apricot or walnut kernels on your face. These are too rough for facial skin and cause micro tears. They are better suited to dry feet.
Cotton gloves for dry hands
Sadly skin on the back of our hands is really thin. It also has fewer oil glands, and is constantly exposed to your environment. In the winter months, your hands are more prone to dryness, dehydration, wrinkling, and irritation. So get yourself a pair of thin cotton gloves to use at bedtime in combination with a rich hand repair lotion or cream. The gloves will help the cream soak into your skin. You’ll notice softer hands when you wake. (And switch to water and soap instead of drying sanitizer!)
Monitor the temperature of your shower or bath
This is hard in the colder winter months, when the damp British air makes bones feel they need to warm up! However excessively hot showers and baths can dry out your skin, stripping natural oils and even causing redness and inflammation. So opt for tepid water when washing your face. However if you like me, love hot baths, then add some essential oils mixed into a blob of honey or cup of full cream milk, handful of oatmeal (inside an old sock) or two handfuls of Dead Sea salt to your bath. And then after your bath, apply a soothing lotion with omega 3 oils to replenish any lost moisture. That’s my workaround
Eat Hydrating, Skin-Optimizing Foods
The secret of the raw food diet is the huge amount of coherent water inside raw foods. So look for watery fruits and vegetables like watermelon, melons, apples, oranges, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and coconut water. These foods also contain valuable phyto-nutrients, vitamins and minerals that feed your skin from the inside out. And of course they’re in a form your body recognises, unlike most synthetic vitamin supplements!
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are key in retaining water in your skin. How? They prevent water loss at the skin’s surface. They support collagen production which means that your skin is stronger, more elastic and firmer. This leads to less redness, itching and dryness Most people consume enough Omega 6. It is adding in the Omega 3 oils that is most important. Great sources are: Flax seeds (linseeds), chia, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, cod liver oil, herring, oysters, sardines and anchovies.
So what are you waiting for? Pick three action points from these winter skin tips and get started to softer, dewy skin this Winter! No matter what winter weather comes your way, you can keep sensitive Celtic skin soothed, hydrated and radiant.
My finale tip, look for a 3 step skincare routine so that you have no excuses about lack of time.
