When cold weather hits with blustery winds and warmer indoor temperatures, the moisture can feel like it gets sucked right out of our skin. This article includes key things to remember that will contribute to the dry skin, followed by things that can offer support and balance with general product recommendations at the end.
It also includes dietary and supplemental recommendations for dry skin support which should all be taken into consideration under the care and guidance of your own personal physician. These are things that have been shown to improve dry skin, but they should be verified first and foremost for your health; to ensure that what you are using isn’t making something potentially worse; and to make sure that you are spending your hard earned money on what your body will actually benefit from.
When looking at these impacting factors, please keep in mind that not all of it will apply to you. Listening to your body, talking with your practitioner and occasionally, various testing methods can all be crucial factors in moving forward with positive changes. Everyone is different…please keep that in mind.
🌬Exposure to cold air, especially with wind, when outside in the elements;
- Keep layers over the exposed skin to help protect it from the wind, like gloves and scarves
- Before putting those on and going outside, apply a layer of a thicker, richer moisturizer (like nighttime cream consistency) that can provide a layer of hydration and protection as well. Add it to any skin that will be exposed: face, neck, hands, etc.
- Staying hydrated is key here, add in extra water, whether hot or cold. Tho in colder weather the body often does better processing warmer temperatures but that really depends on your personal preferences
- Herbal teas are a great way to get added hydration on the colder days
- Coffee may likely dehydrate more than hydrate
- Alcohol dehydrates, so if you are imbibing, make sure to have more water
🔥Time inside a space that is extra warm, especially one heated with a fireplace or wood stove;
- Keep water going as a steam through the time the wood is burning, either as a pan on simmer on the stovetop or as a pot on top of the wood stove, or run a humidifier while the fires are burning
- Drink more water or tea (cool or hot)
- Layering the moisturizer through the day as your skin needs, it may want an additional layer to what you might use in the spring or summer months
🛀🏽Hot showers or baths to warm the body down to the bones;
Admittedly, these are my favorite places to soak up the warmth to make it through the cold night but after drying off, I quickly find the dry skin starting to crack and itch as I move around a little….sound familiar?
- Shorten the time under extreme heat (which can also contribute to redness for those with issues like rosacea)
- Keep your moisturizer in the bathroom and before you fully dry off, apply it to your damp skin, do a light pat dry so as not to wipe away all the hydration you just applied and ‘locked in’
🧼Over exfoliating or over cleansing can strip the skin of it’s protective barrier and lead to redness, sensitivity and other skin issues;
Exfoliating 1-3 times a week is good, more than that can contribute to dryness or sensitivity, especially if it’s throwing off the ph balance of your skin.
- Use exfoliants in the shower that have a heavy oil content to add moisture as you remove layers of dry, dead, skin cells (just be careful not to slip in the tub!!!)
- Using a cleanser that also has a moisturizing oil base is helpful, if you end your cleanse with skin feeling tight and ‘squeaky’ that may be too clean. Ideally, you feel refreshed and clean but not with an overly dry or tight feeling.
🥑Diet low in omega fatty acids;
Omegas come in things like Avocados, Borage and Flax, Fish like Salmon and Mackerel and many Nuts including Walnuts. Incorporating them daily into your wintertime diet can make a difference in the underlying health of your skin. They can also be included in supplement form, but that is where you should invite in the support of your physician to help determine the best source for your internal consumption.
Personally, I cannot make it through the winter without adding omegas into my diet and my supplement regimen, without them skin starts to crack at the first sign of cold weather. I have worked with a Naturopathic Doctor* to help recommend the right thing(s) for me…if you want a recommendation for an ND to work with, check out AANP (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians) to locate someone in your area under a specialty that is most applicable for you.
👣 Feet & hands need a little extra love;
They seem to take the brunt of the elements, and when they are so dry that they don’t seem to be absorbing any moisture no matter how often you apply…it might be time to give them a pampering:
- After a shower or a few minutes soaking in some warm water, (perhaps after doing dishes) apply a rich exfoliant (like the one recommended below) and work to rub the hands together and remove some of the dead skin buildup that happens with the drier skin. Do the same to the feet and then apply your moisturizer and see if that has helped allow some hydration in.
- Applying a richer moisturizer before bed and putting on socks and light cotton gloves to sleep
can help soften them by morning too.
💄Makeup may contribute to dryness;
Some brands may be more drying, lipsticks can dehydrate and powder foundation can feel like it only highlights the dry, flakey, skin. Switching powders into a cream or hyaluronic acid base and changing lipstick brands to one that incorporates more natural oils this time of year may provide a more moisturizing alternative.
🧴Healthy products to consider;
Your skin deserves clean, healthy products that are free of toxic fillers and fragrances, organic whenever possible. But please look out for that one villain in particular… ‘fragrances’, as it can contain the most harmful of ingredients and yet it can still be included in your body care items according to our FDA. If you notice a particular product contributing to issues like dry patches or breakouts, check your ingredients, try taking a break from it and see if when you go back to using it, does the dryness come back? Many ingredients can contribute to dryness so the simpler the formula, the better it can often be for you… and our Mother Earth.
Look for ingredients that include oils like some of the ones listed below, in no particular order, and some are in products listed below :
- Olive
- Almond
- Shea
- Argan
- Soybean
- Acorn
- Avocado
- Sunflower
- Coconut
If you have dry patches or cracked skin, these oils can be great for healing and soothing target specific places;
- Vitamin E
- Tamanu
- Calendula
If you want more specific product recommendations that are tailored to your skin care needs, please feel free to schedule a complementary 15 min consult, let’s connect and see how we can bring greater balance to your skin!
If you are looking for any of the ingredients listed above and not able to locate them where you are, you are more than welcome to shop my Wellevate Store, where you have access to most all of them, organic and available in various delivery forms. Wellevate also has brands like Wise Woman Herbals, Weleda, Dr. Hauschka, Herb Pharm, Heritage, NOW, Good Clean Love, Derma E, Boiron and many others. When you register and shop for top quality skin care products through my link, you will automatically get a 10% discount, if you are my client you get 20% off with occasional deals for even better discounts! Best part…you can register and shop totally at your convenience!
Not very often will I recommend specific products generically for folks, but these…they are too incredible not to share…please check them out, not only are they are ethically sourced with many bringing balance back to the Land, but some are formulas that have been in use for many generations and are powerfully effective!!! To clarify, I don’t have ordering access to any of these, they are all products that you would order directly from each vendor.
- Nopalera makes cleansers, moisturizers and exfoliants; all of them are great options for most anyone. Naturally you want to verify the ingredients and make sure there is nothing that you might react to but they are gentle, natural and so wonderfully effective!
- Moisture Bar is great everywhere!!! Rub it in your hands for just a moment to warm it up then start on and around lips, up around eyes, down your neck and décolleté, covering arms, elbows, knees…Any dry bits, it is so very moisturizing!
- Cleansers are all amazing, the charcoal cleanser has been used by my teenage son and it has helped to keep the blackheads at bay. They also have Unscented, Jasmine and Lemongrass, all of which are moisturizing and not drying at all, none of them leave your skin feeling tight and stripped of nutrients.
- Exfoliants are pure magic in a jar, a small dollop to start the exfoliation and it softens as the water melts it but the oil base remains after the exfoliation leaving you more moisturized than before you started! (Be Very careful if you use it in the shower as it can make the tub extremely slippery!!!)
- Niawen their makeup is hydrating and their skin care lines are incredible! Especially the cleansing oil, the colder times of year, switching a cleanser to an oil based can make a huge difference to the moisture level in your skin.
- N8IV Beauty has moisturizers that are phenomenal, based in Acorn Oil, they are pure magic in a bottle.
- Skwalwen Botanicals has oils and hydrasols that are also incredibly nourishing, with smells that take you right to the forests that they came from.
Again, if you would like more guidance on what products may be most ideal for you, please feel free to schedule a complementary 15 min consult with me, where we can see if what I consider may be a perfect fit for you!
*Naturopathic doctors understand the necessary aspects of a healthy balance and the importance of looking at health from an overall perspective; everything effects your overall health, so they will look at your diet, medications, supplements, herbs, hormones, lifestyle, genetics, environment as a few factors to determine best course of action for ultimate health. If your MD is familiar with these dietary and supplemental recommendations that is fantastic, you found yourself a Unicorn, unfortunately, many MD’s are not familiar with supplements or herbal formulas and often discourage their use over a pharmaceutical and often don’t have training in nutrition to help recognize potential triggers or supportive options that are available simply by looking at your diet. And again, if you are looking for a recommendation for an ND to work with, search; AANP (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians) to locate someone in your area under a specialty that will fit your needs best.
These are all very basic and general instructions, for more specifics tailored to your needs, especially as it relates to skin care products, please schedule a complementary Discovery Call or full consultation with Tanya here.
I look forward to connecting with your soon! ~Tanya
