Winterize Your Skin

Now that Winter is in full swing here in Maine, I find myself itching dry legs by the end of the day. It's time to tweak some daily routines.

Here are some guidelines I try to follow this time of year.

It's all about HYDRATION. It's more important than ever to drink those 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday. You'll be able to skip the bloody noses and waking up with a dry throat.

Use hand lotion after washing your hands. Especially after washing the dishes and before going to bed.

Put your facial moisturizer on immediately after patting your face dry from cleansing. If you use a toner, put your moisturizer on when your face is still slightly damp (think of it as "sealing in" the water).

Fine tune your shower habits. Don't use super hot water. Take your shower as quickly as possible. The best way to avoid dry scaly skin: use a dry oil before you towel off, then gently pat yourself dry and apply your regular body lotion. A dry oil is meant to be applied to damp skin and after you've toweled off it will dry quickly and won't stain your clothes.

You may be tempted to exfoliate your dryness away; that's fine, just be gentle. Scrubbing harder will just irritate your skin. Also, try using a scrub blended with oils; that way you can't inflict too much damage.

The habit I simply can not break in Winter is taking baths. Last year I took the small space heater we keep in the bathroom and aimed it at tub while I was bathing. That helped serve two purposes: the water did not cool down much in thirty minutes and I wasn't chilled when stepping out of the tub. During Winter, I like to use a sugar scrub (blended with oils of course) when I first get in the water and then I enjoy my soak without feeling like I'm shrivelling up like a prune. I also mix a bath oil in with my bath gel, that way I get moisture and bubbles!

Gotta go, I think I hear my tub calling me now, stay warm!