fbpx
  • Blog
  • by The Buckhead Massage Company
  • September 14, 2015

    Winter is on its way, and let’s face it—it’s not good for your skin. Harsh winds, cold temperatures, and dry air tend to sap skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry, red, and irritated.

    “The change of seasons is always a stress on the skin and body in general,” says Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “I often see people flaring with skin conditions at this time of year.”

    Unfortunately, it’s not only the weather that can challenge your winter skin care. Stress around the holidays, changes in routine, and eating more sugar and fat than usual (which can happen around the holidays or in response to a lack of sunlight) can cause more breakouts, tightness, and dullness.

    You can help reduce these effects by taking some precautions in your daily skin care routine. Try these tips.

    1. Change it up: Most likely, your summer skin care routine will not cut it in the winter. Your skin will probably need more moisture more often. If you usually use a lotion, you may need to switch to a cream. We suggest using ourCoconut Honey Mask a couple times a week to replenish lost moisture, and our Radiant Skin Silk Body Lotion is great for all-over softness.
    2. Choose your cleanser carefully: Cleansers can strip your skin of natural oils, dry it out, and over time, lead to more visible lines and wrinkles. Read more about how your cleanser could be aging your skin, and find tips to choose more nourishing options here.
    3. Slough it off: Getting rid of those dead skin cells on the surface helps your moisturizer penetrate much better. It also brings back that youthful glow that is so often lost during the winter months. Try our Dead Sea Facial Scrub a couple times a week.
    4. Protect: Winter weather appears to be less sunny, but remember—those harmful UV rays are still out there. Always protect skin with a safe sunscreen like zinc oxide, and wear protective hats and clothing.
    5. Shorten your showers: Hot water feels great in the winter, but it saps skin of its natural oils. Try to limit your long, hot showers and baths to once or twice a week, and choose lukewarm the other times. Always apply moisturizer immediately after patting skin dry.
    6. Eat right most of the time: Simple sugars and carbohydrates stimulate reactions in skin that can lead to more acne breakouts. Avoid these during your daily life and you’ll experience fewer setbacks when you indulge at the holidays.
    7. Wear gloves! Our hands suffer the most during the winter—usually because we’re washing them more often to avoid the germs that can cause infections. Take moisturizer with you and apply regularly, and wear gloves to protect the skin on your hands from the harsh winter weather.
    8. Use a humidifier: As winter comes, the air dries out. The dryer the air, the more it steals moisture from your skin. If you live in a dry climate, use a humidifier, particularly in your bedroom at night.
    9. Repair: The winter months are a great time to repair any sun damage you may have developed over the summer. You also need to provide your skin with more nutrients so it can better withstand winter stress. Try our Repair Serum before your regular moisturizer every night.
    10. Try a sugar scrub on lips: Chapped lips are the bane of winter living. Get rid of that dry, flaky skin with a homemade sugar scrub. Simply mix some regular sugar with some jojoba, coconut, or safflower oil, and rub gently on the lips once a day. Add a little honey for healing properties. Follow up with a nourishing lip balm.