BEAUTY SPOT – MAINTAIN SOFT SKIN IN THE WINTER

One of the most common beauty concerns during an Albertan winter is “ How do I keep my skin moisturized?”  High winds, lack of moisture, and varying temperatures pose a highly specific set of needs for our skin in Alberta. Follow these skin tips and ease the discomfort that many Prairie gals suffer! 

1)    Moisturize From The Inside Out

Our skins health is a direct reflection of our internal health. Nourish your skin with a healthy, high quality Omega oil supplement, such as Barlean’s Omega swirl. Fish and flax oils provide our body with the building blocks it needs to replenish all cells in the body. Using a dietary Omega supplement will help skin, hair, gums, and neurological health.

2)    Reduce Inflammatory Foods

Diets with refined ingredients such as flour, sugar and dairy, will increase the inflammatory reaction in the body. Increase your intake of whole grains and seasonal fruits and vegetables, while minimizing inflammatory foods. This will help to minimize issues such as eczema and psoriasis, which are exacerbated when the temperature drops.

 3)    Hydrate

The skin needs both oil and water to be moisturized. Ensure that you are taking as much clean, filtered, nourishing water as possible daily to provide the skin cells with sufficient hydration.

4)    Turn Down The Hot Water

As tempting as it is to take extremely hot baths and showers when you feel like your house is an igloo, reduce the temperature so the bathing ritual is comfortably warm. If the water is really hot, it will exacerbate dry skin conditions.

5)    Exfoliate. Exfoliate. Exfoliate

The skin’s epidermal layer is where a dry condition is most evident due to the buildup of dry, flakey cells. It is critical to encourage the skin to replenish itself & detoxify by gently removing the built up cells & toxins trapped in the top layer of skin. Skin will heal more quickly and fully absorb the benefits of your moisturizer.

Incorporate dry brushing daily into your bath or shower, with a once weekly body scrub.

Dry Brushing: Using a shower brush with natural bristles, brush the skin from the torso to the ends of the limbs. Begin in the groin and work down the legs, then start at the underarms and dry brush the arms and body; gently and softly sloughing away dead skin cells & any toxins trapped in the epidermis.

Body Scrub: There are many available on the market, and should only be used once a week. Focus on areas of the body that have an accumulation of skin/ or calluses  (knees, ankles, feet, elbows, knuckles) then move the exfoliant in swirling movements throughout the rest of the body. Choose a scrub with emollients suspended within the product, such as Giovanni Hot Chocolate Scrub.

6)    Choose A Nourishing Body Moisturizer

The skin should be feeling soft and supple following dry brushing and bathing, particularly if you are following internal skin health practices. The final step to keeping smooth, silky skin is to seal in hydration with an emollient, luxurious moisturizer. Choose balms and butters for stubborn dryness such as heels, knuckles and elbows;  and creams and lotions for all over the body. The best moisturizers are natural oils, and natural oil emulsions. Products with a high concentration of natural oils such as shea butter, sesame oil, jojoba oil, Vitamins A, E, C, and natural antioxidants are ideal. For a balm, the Suki body repair butter is amazing and nourishing, and Vancouver based Patrick Curelle body lotion  is a fantastic, economical choice.

- Alison Estill 

- Image via Darren S Feist Photography