12.02.09
Winterizing your skin
In honor of the snow this morning in Dallas, I thought I’d share some tips about winterizing your skin.
Cold winter weather in any part of the world can take its toll on our skin, so it’s important to be prepared and adapt your skin-care routine accordingly, along with other tips I’ll share below.
Do you ever have dry patches? When these appear, follow your nighttime skin-care routine as usual, but with one addition: before you apply your moisturizer and/or serum, apply a thin layer of olive, jojoba, or evening primrose oil to the driest areas, including around the eyes. You can also mix a teaspoon or so of one of these oils with a hydrating mask and leave on for as long as you like. This should remedy the dry, flaky patches. In the morning, use your cleanser with a soft washcloth to gently remove the last remnants of visible flakes and proceed with your usual morning routine.
You may also want to apply your exfoliant less often when the flaking becomes more persistent, and consider running a humidifier in your home during the cold, dry winter months. That can make a world of difference during periods of cold, dry air outdoors and heated, recirculated dry air indoors.
One more thing that deserves mention: drinking extra water will not reduce or prevent dry, flaky skin. Drinking water is definitely important for the health of the body but that doesn’t translate to getting rid of dry skin. If drinking water were all it took to eliminate dry skin, no one would have dry skin! Attempting to over-drink is always accompanied by an almost immediate need to go to the bathroom, where the excess water is quickly eliminated. So even if the extra water could be delivered to skin cells it would never have the chance to get there.
