The ghost of winter's past haunts me with the images of patchy, dry, flaky, irritated, itchy, painful skin. Only last winter did I figure out the rocket science of keeping my skin hydrated.
If you want some tips on how to stay smooth and moisturized this winter then you're in the right place!
Enjoy.
The first thing to note, and I've spoken of this before, is the importance of regular exfoliating. When your skin is dry and irritated even the thought of scrubbing your face with a gritty paste is terrifying. But fear not! Exfoliating merely twice a week will gently scrape away all the dead skin that form all those pesky dry patches. It's important to remember that when I say "exfoliate" I mean in the most gentle of ways. Please don't go and rip the skin right off your face! I know that's a bit of an exaggeration but exfoliating to harshly will only irritate your skin more. Like anything in beauty, too much is never good.
Exfoliates I recommend
PETERTHOMASROTH Pumpkin Enzyme Mask
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate
On the days where I scrubba dub dub my face with one of the above exfoliates, I always follow with a hydrating, restorative mask. I find that this combination works perfectly. You file away the gross build up and then nourish the supple, tender skin that's you're left with.
Hydrating Masks I Recommend
PETERTHOMASROTH Cucumber Gel Mask
Glam Glow Thirsty Mud
Now that we know to pamper our skin twice a week, we can worry about the oh so important, daily skin care. Though I've been having some slight acne troubles lately, I know it's only because of genetics and makeup. My skin care is awesome, and I totally stand by all of these products. You may notice you don't see a cleanser anywhere, well that's because I've recently switched cleansers and I'm not familiar enough with the new one to be able to recommend it. But you can't go wrong with a super simple cleanser. One that doesn't claim to do a million things, even hydrate. Moisturizing cleansers tend not to clean very well, but if you go with something that is really basic it's not going to strip you skin of its moisture.
After cleansing I personally like to use a toner. If my skin is particularly bad I'll whip out my Yes To Tomatoes Acne Fighting Toner. However, on an everyday basis I've been absolutely LOVING the Eau Roma Water rose toner from Lush. It's refreshing and hydrating. A wonderful addition to your skin care routine.
After toner comes the most important step. Moisturizer! Like cleanser, I like to keep my moisturizer as simple as possible. That's why I've been loving using the Jamieson Vitimin E lotion. It's not exciting or fancy in any way but it is perfect for everyday use. Here's where it get's a bit more complex. After I dollop a bit of cream into my hand, I follow with a facial oil to mix in. If I didn't do this I know my skin would still be that horrible flaky mess. Oils are something I swear by. I use a specialty night time one in the evenings and a different one in the mornings. I know, I'm high maintenance. Don't feel like you need to use two different facial oils like this crazy gal.
Oils I Recommend
Bio Oil Original (I also use this to remove makeup. The more oil the better I think)
Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate
So now that your skin is on the road to hydration, there's one more thing you must take care of. Don't you want soft, kissable lips for when all the mistletoe comes out this winter? Here's how to get them.
On the days when you exfoliate your face, go ahead and scrub the lips as well. Get rid of all the flaking and peeling because that's never cute. After scrubbing we've got to provide some serious TLC to our lips. A super thick, balmy lip treatment should do the trick. Apply this before bed and wake up with pillow soft lips.
Lip Products I Recommend
Lush Lip Scrub (I like the bubblegum flavor)
Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (also great for dry elbows and hands)
I wish you all happy hydrated winters!
Thanks for reading.
-Emily
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