Mind, body & Soul Sessions (#25)

When the weather turns cold, frosty and dry, your skin becomes dryer, flakier and more irritated than usual. You could write it off as one of the chilling facts of winter, or you could do something about it. Here are 10 tips to help your skin look and feel more beautiful in winter.

Wear sunscreen, no less than SPF15, every day.
Perhaps you know that UVB rays are the sun's burning rays and you probably know that UVA radiation is the main cause of wrinkling and skin cancer, but did you know that the rays can penetrate glass? No? Well they can, so this means that even if you're at home, driving or in the office by a window, you'll need full-spectrum (both UVA and UVB) coverage. And don’t think you won’t need them on the cloudiest winter days, because you do.

Be gentle.
Clean you skin with a light touch. Don’t scrub when your skin is irritated because it can make problems worse. Skip antibacterial soaps and very hot water, both tend to strip the moisture from your skin. After cleansing, protect your skin from the elements. Wind, sun, heat, cold, and dry office air can quickly cause or worsen the condition of dry skin. Apply a moisturizer before exposing your skin to these moisture-sapping conditions. If you want, you can apply some more during the day, but don’t use too much. Too much moisturizer can cause irritation too.

Don’t use product with fragrances and/or alcohol.
They dry out and irritate the skin even more in winter conditions. In other seasons we might love these products, but forget about them in the cold season because they can strip the skin of its natural protective oils. Instead look for products with “hypoallergenic” on the label.

Don't linger in the bath or shower
When it’s cold it’s very tempting to take long showers or stay in the bath for a very long time. Please don’t! Hot water will sap moisture from the superficial layer (stratum corneum/horny layer), leaving the skin drier, flakier and more susceptible to irritation and damage. Apply a moisturiser while your skin is still moist from bathing or showering. This will help provide maximise hydration, by trapping moisture into the surface layers.

Humidify.
Dry air equals dry skin, so humidify. You can do this by buying a humidifier. I have central heating and I like to place a bowl of water on the radiator, this will put water back into the atmosphere.

Treat yourself to a facial mask once a week.
A facial mask will moisturize your skin. You can buy ready made facial masks for every skin type these days, but you can also make them yourself. For instance, try one of these:

• Mash a ripe banana and smooth the pulp on your face and neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat your skin dry.

Not a huge banana fan, try this:

• Mix one egg yolk, one teaspoon honey and a teaspoon olive oil and some vitamin E oil (if you have it). Smooth on and leave on for 15 minutes, rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry.

Or:

• Take an avocado, mash one half (eat the rest if you want) and mix it with a few drops of lemon juice. Apply on your face and neck and leave it for 15 minutes, rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry.
  

Remember Cleopatra’s secret
Cleopatra was famous for her beautiful skin. Her secret was that she soaked in baths of fresh milk. Modern laboratories now know why milk worked such wonders for her skin: the lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxy acid, a natural material that dissolves the glue that holds dead skin cells together. Milk can cleanse the skin down to its deepest layers.

These days we don’t need a tub full of milk, these two formulas work too:

• Add 2 to 4 cups of fresh milk or buttermilk to the bathwater as the tub is filling.

Or

• Add 250 gram milk powder and one teaspoon of almond oil to the bathwater as the tub is filling.

In both cases: Soak for a good 15 minutes (only once a week). Gently rub your skin with a washcloth to slough off the dead skin. Rinse your body thoroughly after soaking.

Caution: Very hot baths are not good for those with high blood pressure, and they can be draining for anyone. Skip this bath if you are allergic to milk or are lactose intolerant.

Drink water
Increase your water intake. Drink up! Make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of pure water a day to keep your skin and body properly hydrated. Drink more if you are super active.

Eat good fats.
Food like cold-water fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines), walnuts and flaxseed are loaded with nutritious omega-3 fatty acids which can revitalize dry hair and skin.

Drink hot cocoa and get your antioxidants.
According to recent studies, cocoa beans contain large amounts of natural antioxidants called flavonoids. Cocoa powder is made from these beans so, go ahead, steam some milk and enjoy your cocoa-anti-oxidants!