Living in LA I'm so out of the loop when it comes to weather. I swear living here is like living in a protective bubble sometimes. It's the land where the seasons never change - as they say. It is, however, getting slightly colder. 50 - 60 degree weather. And yes, I complain. lol. It's freezing! With the change in temperature, I also see a change in my skin. Even worse when I travel to the east coast. I swear to you that if I do nothing, my skin will start looking like a 100 year old turtle. It's scary shit, I tell you. So, I make sure to keep tabs on things and spend the time to keep things in check! Thus, bringing us here to this post. I want to share with you how I keep my skin from being dry and dehydrated with certain steps and products. Let's get started, eh?
1. Cleansing: Just like you wash your face, you've got to wash the bod. Constantly cleansing skin can really strip the natural oils from it. So, I always suggest using a nourishing body wash during these colder months when your skin can start to feel drier. My current favorite is the Fresh Citron de Vigne Bath & Shower Gel. It has a pleasant citrus scent, a nice thicker consistency and lather. It will cleanse the skin without leaving it feeling tight or dry. As many other Fresh products, it's formulated without paragons, sulfates, etc etc etc. Always a bonus. As an alternative, I also absolutely love Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash with Shea Butter as a drugstore option. It's creamy and has a rich lather. A great find that I've used for probably years now.
2. Exfoliate: It's so important to exfoliate the skin. I always prefer doing this about twice a week. Our skin cells are constantly turning over and you want to scuff off the dead ones to reveal the newer ones. Exfoliating also helps tame dry flakey skin or uneven texture. I have been loving the Aesop Geranium Leaf Body scrub. It smells great (sort of herbal) and the exfoliating beads don't feel too harsh, but they still feel like they're working. The scrub also lathers so you really feel super clean after use. I like that my skin doesn't feel stripped after using this one. I think this would be suitable for all skin types, even those a bit more sensitive. Really love this stuff. I also wanted to mention my other old favorite, the Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish. I would say that if your skin is really dry and rough, this is fantastic. It is actually brown sugar in this scrub and the granules are quite big so you really get a good scrub. They're held together in a sort of oil base which is my favorite part because once you rinse, your skin feels like butter since the oil sort of sinks into your skin and stays there. I will say that if you don't like heavy scrubs, go for something like the Aesop scrub with smaller granules, but they're both lovely.
3. Oil: This is usually a night time step for me. In the winter, I'm dry and itchy and it's just not pretty. Oils are such a dream for the skin. I swear mine just swallows it up. Oils tend to moisturize deeper and more intensely than a lotion or a cream. They just absorb right into the skin. I always suggest using oils and intense treatments directly after showering. Like within a minute or two after getting out of the shower. The reason for this is that your pores are still open from the steam and it will help the oil absorb deep into the skin before your body cools down and pores tighten back up. My favorite oil is the Aesop Geranium Leaf Hydrating Body Treatment. I use about a tablespoon worth and massage it all over my body. Massaging is important to really help your revitalize your skin and help the oil absorb fully. This oil smells really nice (herbal-ish) without being overpowering. I also like that it doesn't feel oily once you apply. It absorbs and will leave your skin looking healthy and glowy. (Note that I will skip this step if I've used the Fresh Brown Sugar Scrub since the oil in the scrub stays on the skin).
4. Moisturizer: Unless I'm a complete wreck, I won't need to moisturize after applying oil in the evening. I usually use moisturizer in the morning. Making sure to target my really dry areas like my knees and elbows. Usually, the thicker the cream, the more hydrating and rich it will be for your skin. I'm really picky though about lotions and creams feeling greasy and oily. I hate that. My favorite as of late is the Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream. It has terrific ingredients and is great for what it says - restoring the skin. It helps combat dry skin really well and it doesn't feel greasy. It has a pleasant scent, but it won't linger too long which I personally like because I hate for my body lotion to interfere with whatever perfume I choose to use. My other, more cost effective, favorite is the St. Ives Intensive Healing Body Lotion. It's so good. Really hydrating and completely non greasy feeling.
If you keep up with all four of those steps, you'll definitely have hydrated and glowing skin throughout the winter seasons. It's all about taking the time for care for you. Don't neglect yourself!
A few random tips I have before letting you go:
Use luke warm water when showering. Hot water will dry and dehydrate your skin. I know it feels good like being in a sauna when it's freaking freezing outside, but resist the urge!
Be sure that your body has adjusted to the water temperature and is warm enough when you start shaving. Goosebumps on cold skin will cause irritation for your skin when you start to shave. It might sound obvious, but you never know!
Aloe Vera gel is a life saver for any redness or irritation on the skin (you know, if say the above may happen). Mix a little into your usual moisturizer and apply it to your skin. It really helps!
Always moisturize your skin immediately after getting out of the shower. As in, no more than a couple of minutes so that you get the most absorption of the products leaving your skin as hydrated as possible.
Hope all this helps!
Talk soon! Kisses, J
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