Looking great during the winter means taking care of your skin. Sure, you’ll mostly be covered up in chic scarves and tall boots, but the world still sees your face! The big battle here is against dry skin. Winters in Colorado might not be frigid, but they are so dry that you definitely have to take steps to stay hydrated and moisturized to avoid dull, flaky skin.
Fortunately, there are some great tricks and products to keep your skin glowing, no matter what Mother Nature has in store. Try some of my favorite winter skin care tips to stay radiant all winter long:
Luscious Lips
The first victim of all that dry? Your lips. They don’t produce any natural oils of their own, so it’s important to keep them hydrated. Many commercial lip balms contain parabens that actually work against healthy skin. As an alternative, I absolutely love Sugar Fresh Lips products, which use pure cane sugar as a natural exfoliator and humectant (a compound that draws moisture to your lips). Try a lip polish followed by a tinted, SPF 15 lip balm for best results. And, by the way — they taste amazing!
Full Body Balm
Though it’s kind of counterintuitive, all that hot water from your shower or bath is actually incredibly drying. Your soap strips away natural oils along with dirt, and as water evaporates from your skin afterward, it takes any remaining moisture along with it. To nip this process in the bud, give your whole body a drink immediately after your shower. Pat your skin dry, then use a body oil to replace lost moisture and seal it in. I love Neutrogena’s Light Sesame Formula because it has just a few, clean ingredients and works like a dream, but for a 100 percent natural choice, you can use pure, Vitamin-E rich grapeseed oil instead. Both of these are so lightweight that your skin will just drink it up without leaving a greasy residue.
Healthful Hydration
Speaking of giving your skin a drink, the best way to do that is from the inside. Proper hydration is the key to good health throughout the winter months — it will help keep your skin moist, and it supports your overall good health as you try to keep all those nasty viruses at bay. Carrying a water bottle with you will let you sip all day long, and you can even choose one that will add you your overall style. Fabulous bkr water bottles are made of environmentally friendly glass wrapped in a silicone sleeve — choose one of an array of gorgeous colors to match your mood or your signature look. Best of all, bkr donates a portion of the proceeds to global charity work.
A Helping Hand
We all know about the importance of SPF protection to keep skin healthy and young looking, so I’m sure you already have a great SPF moisturizer for your face. But what about your hands? This area is often neglected, but they’re exposed to the sun’s rays almost 100 percent of the time. All those UV rays can damage your skin over time, and the backs of your hands may be the first place your body shows the ravages of the sun. Keep those premature age spots at bay by using an SPF hand cream. I love Deborah Lippmann’s Rich Girl Hand Cream, which has SPF 25 protection.
Just because your skin is covered by sweaters during the winter doesn’t mean you can ignore it! Try these tips to stay glowing and gorgeous all winter long.