6 Ways to Pamper Dry, Itchy Winter Skin

Winter can be TOUGH on your skin, in so many ways!

The dry, cold months of October through March can be especially rough on your skin! Cold temperatures and low humidity levels result in dry air that draws moisture away from the skin. Harsh winter winds and dry indoor heat can make the problem worse and lead to cracked and even bleeding skin. Here are 6 simple steps you can take now to help your skin thrive during these harsh months!

 

1. Drink more Water! Our #1 tip for how to have more hydrated skin is don't neglect your H2O intake! Water is so vital for so many reasons! But, when it comes to your skin, inadequate water consumption will most definitely lead to dull, dry skin. 

Now, while all that water that you're drinking isn't necessarily going straight to your skin, it's feeding your cells, and hydrating all of the systems in your body. And remember...overall health=skin health! So ensuring that your body has proper hydration will aid in your body's ability to repair and defend itself!

A few years ago, I took the plunge and bought one of those fancy water filtration systems called a Berkey, and I cannot recommend it enough! I love mine! And I love knowing that me and my entire family always have access to clean, pure water all of the time!

2. Cool Down your Showers

One way to avoid overdrying of your skin is to avoid taking extremely hot showers. Hot showers can severely disrupt the skin's ability to lock-in moisture. Taking hot showers can even worsen skin conditions like eczema & psoriasis!

Instead, try luke-warm showers, or better yet, try a cold shower! Not yet ready to "take the plunge" in an ice bath? Then instead, try taking a "contrast shower." Developed by Dr Sebastian Kneipp, this technique will help to open your blood vessels, and is great for detoxification & regeneration of muscles and organs.

How it's done: get the water as cold as possible and stand in it for one minute. When the minute is up, you then change the water to hot for an additional minute.  Alternate between one minute each of cold and hot for three to five cycles.

3. Eat plenty of healthy fats

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are crazy important for maintaining skin health.  Omega-3's are necessary to help keep skin thick, supple, and moisturized. This means that integrating plenty of healthy fats into your daily diet can go a long way in keeping your skin smooth and hydrated!

Try adding half of an avocado to your breakfast, or a healthy drizzle of Kasandrino's Olive Oil to your lunch salad or baked sweet potato. For dinner, try one of my personal favorites...a Roasted Root Veggie Bake using Duck Fat from Fatworks Foods!

Remember, Truly healthy skin starts from within!

 

4. Use a Humidifier 

If you're like me, then you love cranking up the thermostat when no-one else is looking. But the bad news is that all that warm cozy air can also seriously deplete your skin of moisture! Something i've personally been using for the past few years is a humidifier! What i've found is that my skin has a much easier time dealing with the trauma of the cold temps when i'm using it consistently. A humidifier will add moisture to the indoor air, helping to reduce the occurrence of dull, dry & parched skin. If you're looking for a new model, check out CANOPY. Their humidifier uses no-mist technology, has an anti-microbial filter, and is small and compact (translation, it will fit on your bedside table). 

5. Take Up Dry Skin Brushing

One of my personal favorite at-home skincare remedies is dry-skin brushing! And it's exactly what it sounds like: brushing your skin while it's dry. Essentially, you're going to "brush" your skin with a soft-bristled brush before hopping in the shower. This practice can help detoxification by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymph flow/drainage. Dry brushing stimulates your nervous system, which can make you feel invigorated afterward. Personally, my favorite part is that it exfoliates dead skin cells!

Since there are probably about 100 articles online already, i'll just direct you to a few of my favorites on our Pinterest Board.

6. Moisturize your skin with Fats and Oils

Immediately after showering, make sure to apply a thin layer of a heavy moisturizer like our tallow-based Body Butta, to your skin. Tallow makes an amazing moisturizer for the dry winter months for many reasons. Tallow is insanely high in vitamins A, D, K and E, as well as CLA's (conjugated linoleic acid). It's rich in antioxidants, it's easily absorbed and is structurally similar to the cells in our skin (since we're animals, and not plants). Using our Body Butta after a shower will allow your skin to lock in deep moisture, and retain that moisture throughout the day. 

Another way that you can use fats and oils topically is by adopting the Oil Cleansing Method. Yup, this is exactly what it sounds like: washing your face with oil. While it may sound bizarre, it's actually incredible for your skin! Wanna learn more? Check out our "Are You a First Time Oil Cleanser" page to learn more, and grab our Facial Skincare Basics bundle to check out all of our tallow & fat based facial skincare products! So ditch your soap-based facial cleanser for an oil-based cleanser, instead! 

 

And as always...never forget...Your skin is your largest organ. Treat. It. Well!

 

 

 

 

 

 


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