How To: Prepare Your Skin For Winter!

Hello beautifuls! It's that time of the year again; cold weather, snow falling and covering the ground, freezing ice on the ground, winds that whip your face, sweaters, scarves, bundling up near the fireplace, and the most dreaded idea of winter; dried skin!

When I say "prepare your skin for winter", I don't just mean your face, I mean your whole body! I have picked out personal favorite items that I've used and still use that help my skin stay smooth throughout the winter season.

Hands:

This part of our body dries out the fastest, mostly from washing our hands all the time, which is harsh to on the skin, and being exposed to the cold, dry air. Trust me, I've had dried hands to the point of them being red, cracked, and bleeding, and it's no fun. I suggest using a lotion specifically designed for the hands that is fast absorbing! You can choose a fragrance free to a sweet smelling hand cream, but I have a few personal favorites that are moisturizing, fast absorbing, and keep your hands feeling soft!

Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream

Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Hand Cream

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Hand Cream

Bath & Body Works Stress Relief Hand Cream

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

C.O. Bigelow Chapped Hands Remedy

EOS Hand Lotion

Lips:

This is another part of our bodies that gets dried out fast, from the dry air to the winds whipping us in the face every five seconds, dried out lips can be painful and bothersome. Besides piling on a bunch of lip balms, try exfoliating your lips a few times a week during your night time routine to get rid of the dead skin cells that build up. Then, follow up with a moisturizing lip balm and throughout the day!

Lush Lip Scrubs

EOS Lip Balms

Legs:

Most of the time during the winter season, our legs are covered up with leggings, tights, pants, or long coats, so they don't get dried up as fast as your hands or lips would. The skin on your legs is a lot tougher than the skin on your face, lips, and hands because not only are they exposed to the elements everyday, they are exposed to a razor blade which strips oil and skin cells along with it, along with clothing rubbing against them. None the less, the dry air finds its way to our legs causing them to be dry, itchy, and irritated! Using a body scrub a few times a week, shaving with a moisturizing fragrance free shaving cream, and apply body butter at night will ensure they make it through the cold weather throughout the day. 

Body Scrubs

I use body scrubs all the time, usually twice a week to get rid of dead skin cells, cure dry skin on my body, and reveal smooth skin. I like to scrub my feet, legs, arms, elbows, hands, and upper chest. This reason is exactly why it's a item to have during the winter season!

The Body Shop Body Scrubs (Cocoa Butter & Coconut)

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrubs & Soap Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Sugar Scrubs (Stress Relief & Sleep)

Shaving Cream

You can shave with any shaving cream you desire, scented or unscented, but I personally suggest using an unscented shaving cream throughout the winter season and all the time! When you think about it, while in the shower before shaving, the pores on your skin open up, hair softens up, and shaving strips oils and the first layer of your skin. Anything scented is going to aggravate any dried out skin, especially after being shaved. And to top all of that, the dry air isn't going to help much either, eeek!

Alba Botanic Very Emollient Shave Cream

EOS Shave Cream

Body Lotion:

This is another great item to have around your home! Body lotions are perfect to rub on your arms and legs throughout the day to smooth irritated and dry skin. They aren't as heavy as a body butter and they absorb pretty quick. I like to have a body lotion in my home, bedroom, car, purse, bookbag, etc. You can go fragrance free or have a nice smelling scent!

Bath & Body Works Body Lotion (Sweet Pea, Paris Amour, Beautiful Day)

Bath & Body Works Body Lotion (Vanilla Bean Noel & Twisted Peppermint)

Other Useful Tips!

Drink Water

I know it can be hard at times to get your daily intake of water, but it's essential for our bodies, we are made of about 70% water! Water helps your thinking, sweating, internal organs, cells carry oxygen, and help skin keep hydrated!

Avoid Overusing Hand Sanitizers

I know, we live in a society that says we should use them every second of that day! If you regularly wash your hands before eating, putting things on your face and body, or just generally when you need your hands to be sanitized, you shouldn't be needed to use hand sanitizers so often. Yes, use them when you need them (like after pumping gas, coming out of the restroom in public places, touching surfaces in public places, before eating at a restaurant, etc), but don't use them so much. The alcohol content in them is rather high and drying to the hands.

Shorter Showers

Taking those long relaxing hot showers during the cold months feels nice and wonderful, but it dries out your skin. Try taking a shorter shower or turning the water to warm instead of hot.

Humidifier

These machines can be very helpful for people with allergies (which is why I have an air purifier in my room on at night) and during the cold months when the heat is circulating through the house. The heat circulating through the house and blasting on your face through vents dries out your skin, so help balance the air with a humidifier!

Hopefully you all found my advice helpful! 

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How do you help your skin survive the cold months?

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