Okay, so the holidays are over and you've had some time to yourself... yea! This is your time to not only enjoy the cool (and head-scratchingly bad) gifts you've gotten, but it's also that time of the year that you settle in for some of the driest air, and therefore skin, imaginable. I went to do an actress for an event the other day, and her face and body were so parched that the make up literally would have splotched up had I not done some good old fashioned prep work. Here are my tips on how to keep your skin the smoothest and beautifully moist this winter season.
IN THE SHOWER:
Body Wash: Switch to an emollient body wash. Choose something creamy and milky looking. Shower gels, bars and transparent soaps do not count. I really like Dove Body Wash. It's creamy, smells great, and is fantastic for sensitive skin. And as an added bonus, it is incredibly easy to find! It's available at any larger drugstore chain.
Temp: I know it feels really good to take a hotty McHot shower in the colder months... but I urge you to resist this. Too hot of a shower robs your skin of moisture. Take a nice lukewarm water temperature shower instead.
Time: Make it quick. The longer you stay in there the more precious oils you're losing. No need to speed-shower, but definitely don't dawdle.
ON YOUR HAIR:
Shampoo: Like the body, your hair will benefit from more emollient formula products. I like Soy Shampoo by Fresh (available at Sephora). It gets hair beautifully clean but gives a nice kiss of conditioning that won't overpower or weigh your hair down. I would wash the scalp first, using what is left as you move down to the ends. The ends of your hair are the driest and thinnest so they don't need full force shampoo to clean and clarify them.
Conditioner: It's so much about prep and timing with conditioner. First, you have to remove excess water from your hair before applying. Think of your hair as a sponge that's full of water. If you dip a sponge full of water into a bowl of conditioner, how much product do you think it will absorb? Not much, if any. If you squeeze that same sponge out a bit before you do the dip then there will be space for conditioner to enter. Your hair is like that sponge. Too full of water and your favorite conditioner will just slide off. That's not good for your hair, your hairstyle, or your purse! What a waste. My advice is to gently 'wring' out any excess water. For shorter haired gals, it may be a good idea to keep a small hand towel in the shower to pad away that extra water. Apply a small amount of conditioner to the ends of your hair and work your way up. Your ends will be drier and more “thirsty” for moisture, so they should get the lion's share. You'll work your way up to the scalp where you'll need less. This makes a big difference... try it! What is my product suggestion you may ask? I'm sticking with my old school favorite, Finesse. Still the lightest, moisture packed formulation on the market. And, like Dove Body Wash, it is conveniently available at any larger drugstore.
FOR YOUR SKIN:
Exfoliate: Sloughing off dead skin to promote cell turnover is vital. This jump starts the new skin cycle. I'm a huge fan of those little loofah body gloves you can get at The Body Shop. Apply your body wash directly in the palm of your gloved hand and scrub away. Once you get in the habit of these gloves you'll never wash without them again. Get an extra pair for travel... you'll miss them on the road!
Body: After the shower it's all about timing. Should you towel dry completely before applying your body lotion? I'm going to use the sponge analogy again. If you take all the moisture out of a sponge then slather moisturizer on it, what exactly are you preserving? What if you took a very damp sponge and put moisturizer on that? All that dewy water would be trapped beautifully in that sponge, keeping it softer for a much longer period of time. Your skin is like that. You want to apply lotions and/or oils WHILE YOUR SKIN IS VERY DAMP! I know it feels slimy and icky, but I guarantee you it will make a world of difference in the suppleness of your skin. After applying your moisturizer of choice, gently blot your skin dry with your towel and that's it. Note, you have about a minute to start slathering it up! My absolute fave body moisturizers for winter are Lubiderm and Aveeno. Again, remember to apply them when your skin is very damp!
Face: I'll have to give the same advice for timing your application of facial moisturizer as I did for applying your body moisturizer. Don't use a heavy, 'full formulation' facial moisturizer in the morning when you start your day. Save that for evenings/bedtime. I like Dermologica AGE Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery. This leaves skin velvety, and as a bonus, it has SPF30! It's really great stuff! You can find it at Ulta Beauty and online.
Body Butters: The Body Shop makes these super emollient body moisturizers that are just fab. Not only are they heavy duty 'hold that moisture in' helpers, but they come in some fantastically wonderful scents! I'm going to cover the subject of whether or not scented products are a good idea for everyone a little later in this post, so stay tuned. All of the Body Butters have shay butter so they really give your skin a dewy finish. Side note: keep in mind for the summer months that shay butter is a natural sunscreen, so keep that in mind if you use this product while trying to get a little sun. You can find this product at your neighborhood The Body Shop store.
Elbows/feet/hands: Yuck, how much do we hate dry, ashy elbows, cracked feet or scaly hands? Keep them moist and glowy with Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. It's a good product to have on hand (no pun intended). Apply it liberally and often. Do you want to know a classic fix? Vaseline Petroleum Jelly creams works wonders on dry elbows, feet and hands. Both products are available at larger drugstore chains.
Washing hands: This is a tricky one for me. I wash my hands all day all the time. I use a creamy lotion formula at home and work (yes, I carry my own) when washing up throughout the day. When washing my face at the sink I use a clear, more clarifying hand wash. I always apply to my hands while they are still damp. Again, this holds the moisture in. On days when my skin is very dry I actually apply lotion twice. Once right after washing then again a few minutes later when my hands and the first application of lotion has dried. This makes a huge difference... try it! I like Philosophy's Empowerment Hand Lotion. It's very creamy and has a zip of cooling mint that puts a skip in your step! You can find this product at Sephora.
SCENTS IN LOTION:I used to love buying really fun fragrance filled lotions. In the winter my nails would split. It was SO painful. In response I'd slather on more of my scented hand cream. I was miserable, and I decided to do a test. What if the fragrance in the products I was using irritated my skin and it wasn't a dryness thing after all? I decided to try, for one week, to use only fragrance free or products with very little fragrance. Voila, it worked! My split nails healed and I've never returned. I now use mainly low to no scented products. I can use the fun stuff from time to time, but not solely. I found, with me, it was mainly the very heavily scented lotions and body washes that I can't tolerate. Those 'Baked Apple', 'Vanilla Cream Pie', and other over the top type products are now out for me. Kindof a bummer, but like I said, I still use them every now and then. I've stopped using them days in a row. If you have split nails or skin irritations maybe this is your problem (and solution!) too. Hmmmm...
FROM THE INSIDE:Okay, this is going to make so much sense. Drink water! Not coffees. Not sodas. Just clear, classic hydrating water! Think of a house plant. Give it a nice healthy drink and watch it spring to life! Hydrating yourself fills everything out, plumps everything up, and just makes you feel healthier, solid and balanced. You don't have to go crazy counting, but try to do a small 8oz glass 4 times a day. Your other beverages will fill out your needs, but NOTHING beats 100% pure H20 straight up!
So there's my input. I hope you found a nugget in there that you may not have known. Have a great winter and never forget to:
Enjoy Pretty,
BrettVANITYMARK Cosmetics
