Tips For Healthy Winter Skin

Winter is here and the frost is not only nipping at your nose but the whole face. Fortunately, with a facial skin care routine that meets your exact skin care needs you can be on your way to healthy, radiant skin tone. Facial skin care is more than just cleansing and dabbing on the occasional cream at night. You need to be more responsible in how you protect your skin on a daily basis. Drinking more fluids and using products that have moisture-retaining ingredients like Phytessence Wakame are excellent methods you can follow. Skin care products that have special ingredients like wakame will add moisture as well as sooth your skin while the winter conditions are irritating and drying it out.

Simple winter skin care tips:

1. Take warm showers and baths. In the cold months, it is very tempting to take steaming hot showers. But that hot water actually further dries out your skin by drawing moisture out. Instead, opt for warm showers and baths which help maintain the moisture in your skin naturally.

2. Exfoliate. To many, this seems an unnecessary step, but once you start you'll notice a difference immediately. There are a couple of options. For gentle daily exfoliation, use a bath "pouf" sponge or a loofah with shower gel and rub in gentle circular motion over entire body. Seek a gel that is free of sulfates (sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate) as sulfates are highly irritating and can cause skin to dry out even further. Additionally, avoid gels that include alcohol as it is also drying. Look for products with naturally moisturizing ingredients such as aloe.

3. Moisturize. Ok, that may seem obvious but it is vitally important and many people do not moisturize consistently, or properly. To properly allow your skin to maximize the absorption and retention of moisturizers, it is important to gently pat your skin dry with a clean, dry towel after showering, and then apply a good quality moisturizer within 3 minutes. This is when your skin is most receptive to the oils and it will also seal the water in before it evaporates. Avoid products that contain mineral oil or petroleum products as they can clog pores, and instead look for natural-based ingredients like aloe, coconut oil and shea butter. Some moisturizers also include anti-oxidants such as chamomile, green tea, and Vitamin E. Anti-oxidants can help combat additional free-radical damage that your skin endures from the winter sun.

4. Protect hands. Hands seem to endure the most damage in the winter. The cold air, the dishwashing, and the constant hand-washing to avoid germs all take a huge toll. To protect hands, keep hand cream at convenient locations - the kitchen sink, the bathroom, next to your bed, and in your purse. This way it is always within reach when you need it. For a hand cream, look for one that contains naturally hydrating oils and butters like aloe, illipe and shea. For additional protection, seek a cream with antioxidants that can keep the winter sun damage at bay. A good hand cream should not leave hands sticky or greasy.

5. Soften feet. Our poor feet - trod on daily, covered in socks and stuffed into shoes they take some serious abuse. Pay a little attention to them and they will be so grateful! Wash them carefully at least once per day (or even twice) and dry thoroughly between the toes. After showering, rub them with a pumice stone or a "foot file" once or twice per week to reduce the tough skin. Removing tough skin once or twice per week is sufficient, as over-exfoliating can actually cause skin to grow back thicker. Lastly, apply a rich foot cream at night. Look for one that has aloe or shea butter and peppermint oil to soothe and moisturize. Lastly, for added softness wear cotton socks to bed.

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