SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR WINTER SKIN WOES
GET GORGEOUS GLOWING SKIN FOR ALL THOSE HOLIDAY SOIREES
12.06.2012 | CAITLIN MURPHY | LEAVE A COMMENT
Winter weather can wreak havoc on our skin! The dry indoor air, blustery winds and chilly temperatures are a recipe for chapped, dry and dull shoulders, lips and hands. A major bummer given this time of year is also holiday party season when we want to wear festive frocks and show a little skin. Never fear, since there are a few simple ways to ensure your skin looks and feels gorgeous…so you look hot even though, baby its cold outside :)
LIPS: Dry, chapped lips are the number one complaint when it comes to winter skin. First of all they hurt, there is no way to rock deep berry lipstick with flakey lips and it can be nearly impossible to cover them up when the cold wind blows. To keep your pout perfect, do not, I repeat, do not, lick your lips. Doing so removes essential oils which keep your mouth moisturized. Instead, apply a vitamin rich lip treatment filled with natural ingredients like the Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. We write extensively about our love for this product here because ,it’s that good. I have forsaken all other lip treatments for the Fresh Sugar balms, they even come in great tinted shadesfor a little color on the lips!
HANDS: Moisturized, soft hands always look luxe, but you get extra points if you keep them looking great during the winter. Obviously a manicure and paraffin treatment will do the trick, but also try a simple sugar scrub at home and intense hand lotion like Eucerin’s Intensive Repair Hand Creme. I like to carry a travel size in my purse to keep my hands soft all day. 100% Shea butter like this one from L’Occitane is wonderful and it comes in this cute little tin perfect for taking with you everywhere.
FACE: Gently exfoliating your face is of utmost importance in the winter since dead skn can prevent your moisturizers from absorbing and providing you the most bang for your buck. Invest in a Clarisonic or make sure you use a gentle exfoliant on a regular basis. Add a facial oil like this one from Decleor to enhance the moisture content in your skin and pick very hydrating day and night creams. I also like to switch to a cleansing milk like this one from Clarins to avoid stripping my face of the natural oils.
BODY: As I’m sure you alraedy guessed from the above advice, I going to say the first thing you want to do is exfoliate. I know it’s not summer or self tanning season, but the fact is , exfoliation is actually more important this time of the year. As unpleasant as it sounds, dead skin sticks around (literally) due to all the layers of clothing we have to wear in the winter. (Yuck, I know). So exfoliate, your skin will look better and your moisturizers will actually be more effective. When choosing a moisturizer pick a heavy formula like a body butter, I have been obsessed with this one from Sephora for years. Quick trick, if you’re heading to a party add a drop or two of luminizer to the body butter for an etheral glow.