Winter Beauty Tips
By: Candace Hutchins
Although we may not live in the artic tundra, the winter weather still has an affect on our bodies. Of course we are susceptible to the common cold and many dashed out to get their flu shots. But we also need to be aware of how the winter weather (indoors and out) affects our skin and hair.
It is important to know how to change your beauty routine based on the cold wind outside and the warm central heating indoors.
Skin
Dry skin in the winter is something many have come to accept or ignore. But dry, rough skin speeds up the process of aging and can lead to cracking and other surface damage. As the leaves change and you crank up the heat for the first time this winter, simply replace your normal body moisturizer with a richer moisturizer.
Products at your local drugstore are adequate for normal dryness. The labels are fairly self-explanatory, look for descriptive words like moister, repairing, relief, intense, healing and quench. Apply lotion to skin immediately after showering to lock-in moister.
Hands
Our hands are more likely to be exposed to the winter weather and thus need to be given special care. Keep lotion nearby throughout the day to protect hands from the cold. Some simple additions are using a rich moisturizer after washing hands, doing the dishes or spending time outdoors without gloves on.
Your regular moisturizer will work but special intensive hand moisturizers often include stronger ingredients and are packaged in more convenient sizes.
Face
Winter beauty conjures up thoughts of pale, dry faces. Conquer the winter beauty blues with a few simple additions to your beauty routine. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Moisturize face after showering, before bed and before applying make-up. Switch up moisturizers for the winter if you aren’t getting the relief from dry skin that you need.
Be sure to use a moisturizer during the day that has sunscreen. Just because you aren’t poolside, does not mean that you should skip sunscreen. Use a facial moisturizer that contains at least SPF 15 UV protection.
At night, use a calming deep moisturizer to relieve daytime redness and heal dryness. Use a minimal amount of bronzer to get a daytime glow. Apply bronzer to the area under your cheek bones, bridge of your nose, middle of forehead and end of chin.
Hair
The humidity has gone away for the season, which means we don’t have to deal with frizzy hair anymore. But winter brings on a whole new set of hair problems with flyaways, limpness, static, breakage and dry scalps. Small changes in your hair routine can help avoid these dreaded winter-hair problems.
First, cut back on using hot styling tools. Try towel-drying hair to cutback on blow dry time and only use curling irons, straightening irons and hot rollers sparingly. Second, reduce or eliminate the number of chemical treatments you get. Chemical treatments such as perms, straightening, highlights and coloring dry out hair, which is already suffering because of the winter weather and central heating. Cutting back on chemical treatments gives hair a chance to repair itself. Finally, like moisturizing your skin, use a lot of conditioner during the winter months to ward off dry scalps and split ends.
Although you may have to make a few changes to your beauty routine, there is no reason to fear the winter weather. Let your beauty shine through by using the products suggested here, staying hydrated and moisturizing!