As the outdoor temperature drops so does the humidity. The cold dry, windy air outside combined with the dry heated air inside reduces our skin's natural moisture levels and depletes its natural defenses.
As the seasons change our skin goes into overdrive in an effort to rebalance itself to the new environmental conditions. Winter skin has different needs and is begging for an extra bit of moisture.
How To Protect Your Skin During the Dry Winter Months
There are all sorts of ways to keep your complexion clean and clear during the winter months, from switching to a moisturizing natural soap to increasing your water intake.
Using simple, gentle wholesome skincare with a few simple changes to your regular routine can leave even winter skin feeling protected, nourished, and pampered.
6 Natural Ways To Keep Your Skin Nourished In Winter
1. Use a Naturally Moisturizing Soap
Soap is great for cleansing the hands, face and body but some types of soap can dry out your skin. In winter, the harsh conditions can cause skin to dry out more quickly, and washing strips away the natural oils produced to protect and moisturize your skin. It’s no surprise, then, that you probably find your skin suffers more in winter than at any other time of the year.
A mild natural, moisturizing soap is recommended for dry skin, especially during cold weather. Dry winter skin conditions are often exacerbated by harsh detergent soaps that contain fragrance oils and synthetic chemicals that wash off natural skin-protecting oils.
Benefits of Plant-Based Soap:
- Plant-Based Soaps are Made with Natural Ingredients - Plant-based soaps are made with natural ingredients that you can actually pronounce!
- Plant-Based Soaps Have Only What You Need - Our soap bars contain only the ingredients that they need—no extra preservatives that liquid body washes or commercial bar "soaps" require to increase their shelf life to years, and no foam boosters to make them lather.
- Plant-Based Soap Helps Maintain Healthy Skin - The body’s largest organ, our skin, is incredibly porous and absorbent. How we treat our skin can have a major impact on our overall health as well as the look and feel of our skin. If you struggle to find a soap that does not irritate your skin, switching to the daily use of a simple natural soap is an easy place to start. Your skin can tell the difference.
- Natural Soap is Economical - Some consumers are put off by the cost of handmade soap. You probably look at a bar of natural soap and wonder why it costs more. I mean, soap is soap, right? Both bars clean your skin, right? Commercial soap companies do not want extra oils or glycerin in their soaps because they decrease shelf-life. Without these extra oils to moisturize your skin, you must reach for that bottle of lotion! So, although a bar of commercial soap may cost less, what happens to the cost once you add in the price of all of that cream and lotion (which is also filled with chemicals) that you need to slather all over your dry, itchy skin?
2. Invest in Hand Cream
Chapped hands are a common winter complaint that can cause discomfort and exacerbate skin conditions like eczema. After washing your hands with a non-drying natural soap, try applying some hand cream and letting the lotion soak in to soften the skin and provide essential moisture.
If your hands are particularly chapped, it can be helpful to cover them in a high-quality hand cream or emollient before bed and wear a pair of cotton gloves overnight to give your hands some concentrated moisturization.
3. Drink More Water
It’s vital to drink enough fluids to maintain a healthy body but did you know that the amount of liquid you consume (and the type!) can also have an effect on your skin? People who drink plenty of water are helping to keep their skin hydrated, which can reduce the chances of dry patches developing.
During the cold months, when your skin is at risk of drying out, make sure you’re getting enough water and other healthy fluids to top up your skin’s moisture levels. Research has shown that water is necessary for the skin to make the collagen responsible for cell regeneration, so by consuming healthy amounts of water you could be slowing down the aging process.
4. Don’t Forget the Sunscreen
Sunscreen isn’t just for summer; you’re probably accustomed to applying sun cream when the weather’s hot and bright but sun damage can occur all year round, you just might be less aware of it in winter.
The sun can be drying for your skin and even in winter the brightness and glare from the sun’s rays can penetrate the skin, causing damage. A low level sunscreen can be applied during the colder months to provide sun protection for those super-sunny days.
5. Exfoliate Dry Skin
Dry, dead skin can make complexions appear dull and worsen the appearance of wrinkles; regular exfoliation helps to slough away dead cells, revealing brighter skin beneath. In winter, you might worry that exfoliating your skin could cause it to become dry - in fact, it can keep your skin healthy as long as you don’t overdo it.
As dead skin cells mount up, your skin can become dry and irritated, as it fails to absorb moisturizers and other products you apply. Maintaining an exfoliation routine once or twice a week means you can keep your clear complexion and absorb the moisture necessary to keep dry skin at bay.
6. Avoid Long Hot Baths & Showers
We all enjoy a hot, steamy shower on a cold winter day, but it can dry out your skin terribly. If you must have that hot shower, be prepared to use extra moisturizers.
Similar to the way heated air can dry your skin, so can hot water. While a long, steamy shower may sound delightful after a day in the cold, a long hot shower can strip natural oils from your skin--a real problem for your already dry winter skin.
Help your dry winter skin by turning the water temperature down and keeping your showers short.