By Cassandra Ryan
Winter in Toowoomba can be brutal, especially on our skin. Low humidity, cold winds, central heating and long hot showers all suck the moisture from our skin, leaving us with dry, flaky, dull, and in some cases itchy skin.
Here are my top 5 skin care tips to help get you (and your skin) through winter.
- Keep Up Your Water Intake
The healthier you are on the inside, the healthier your skin will look. We tend to drink plenty of water during the summertime, but during winter we’re not so great at keeping up with our water (guilty as charged). Although you might not be losing as much water from sweating you still need to be drinking at least 2 litres a day. Your skin will thank you for it.
- Switch up your Moisturiser
While upping your water intake is an A plus move, unfortunately that alone won’t save your skin from looking like the Sahara Desert. The freezing temperatures and winter winds can cause plenty of damage, drying out your skin so much that your light summertime moisturiser won’t cut it.
In winter look for products that are heavier in texture than your usual moisturiser and that use words such as hydrating, nourishing, and repairing. You could also look at adding a hydrating serum or facial oil into your skincare routine to really amp up your skin’s moisture levels.
- Lip Care
We’ve all experienced painful, wind burnt lips during the winter. However, you can prevent this by applying a nourishing lip balm morning and night. Look for products containing shea butter, lanolin, coconut oil, vitamin e and jojoba oil, which will not only nourish your lips but also provide soothing and healing benefits too.
Another tip to keep dry lips under control is exfoliating. You can buy specific lip exfoliators if you wish, or you can use your face exfoliation cream and gently rub it over lips (just don’t get any in your mouth). You could also try making one yourself. One that I find particularly good is mixing honey and raw sugar into a paste, and using your finger to gently rub it over your lips.
- Exfoliate
Exfoliation is equally important for the rest of your skin (both face and body). A lot of people experience dry and flaking skin (even people with oily skin can experience this) during winter. The best way to get rid of the dead skin is by exfoliating. You should be exfoliating at least once a week, however depending on your skin type you may need to do it more. Just be careful not to overdo it, as this can cause its own problems.
Investing in a dry body brush is also a great option. It can be used every night before showering over your entire body. Using long sweeping motions over your legs, arms and torso, in the direction of your heart, which not only helps in the removal of dry skin, but also helps the lymphatic system in removing toxins from the body.
- Don’t Skip the Sunscreen
Don’t pack away your sunscreen! You still need to be applying sunscreen every day. I’m sure you’ve all heard by now of the damaging effects that the sun’s rays have on our skin: premature ageing anyone? We live in Australia, so our sun doesn’t disappear for the months of winter. Make sure you continue to apply sunscreen throughout winter. If you don’t want to invest in a separate product pick a day moisturiser or foundation that includes SPF.
Start implementing these tips into your skincare routine and you’ll hopefully survive the winter with little damage to your skin.
Contributor: Cassandra Ryan
Find more from Cassandra at cassandraleeblog.com and on Facebook and Instagram.
