It’s the middle of winter, which means there are only a couple of months of cold weather left. Yet that doesn’t seem to matter when it’s absolutely freezing right now! I don’t know about you, but I always find that a combination of the cold weather and heating in my home leaves me with dry, chapped skin. So it’s about time I shared some tips for giving your skin a healthy boost.

Be choosy about the products you use:

To get your skin back to being as healthy as possible, be selective about the products that you use. Any creams, scrubs or cleansers that contain alcohol will dry out and irritate the skin. So it’s crucial that you steer clear of these. It’s also a good idea to only use products from natural brands, as creams and scrubs containing harsh chemicals can make your chapped skin worse.

Before buying a product, make sure to check the label to see what’s in it. Any products containing chemical nasties, SLS or parabens should be avoided. You also need to make sure you’re getting the best quality products, so splurging for the higher prices is necessary in the winter. For instance, instead of using a drugstore cleanser, it’s best to opt for an extra comfort facial cleanser. It might cost a little more, but the quality makes it worth the cost.

Invest in good moisturizers:

Each day, you should be moisturizing your face, hands and lips for which you should have a good, rich moisturizer for.

For your hands, a hand cream that contains an oil or butter base, such as coconut, argan or shea is ideal. L’Occitane do a lovely range of hand creams, most of which contain shea butter and so, are deeply hydrating. I recently received a mini trio set for Christmas and have one in each of my bags!

On your face it’s important to use a moisturizer that’s as soothing and gentle as possible and I suggest you go scent free as well. Sometimes, when the skin is sore, scented products can cause irritation and make it feel worse.

For your lips a balm containing argan oil or shea butter is the best option as these both offer deep hydration. I find that my lips get chapped and sore the quickest so I always have one of these on hand. It’s so important to moisturize.

Exfoliate:

The combination of cold weather and indoor heating in the winter leaves your skin incredibly dried out. That’s why it’s essential that you exfoliate your face two to three times a week to remove any dead or dry skin cells and to help rejuvenate the skin.

However, because the skin tends to be sore in the winter, it’s important to opt for a gentle exfoliator. The best option is to make it yourself so that you know what’s gone into it. One of the best DIY face scrubs is made up of honey, oats and sugar, it’s soothing and gentle and leaves the skin feeling soft and supple. It’s important to use natural ingredients and avoid microbeads (which are banned in many places. Canada is moving to do so now).
So there you have it, all the best tips for healthy winter skin. How do you keep your skin happy and healthy in the winter?