By Erica Scime
Wind-weathered cheeks, cracked elbows and general dryness can take your skin from beautiful to blah. To overcome the winter elements, follow these five skincare steps.
1. Avoid those lovely long, hot showers A steamy, half-hour shower may be tempting on those especially chilly mornings, but they can wreak havoc on your skin. Hot water removes the skin’s natural oils, so take a lukewarm shower instead. Also, keep showers within 10 to 15 minutes. Contrary to what may seem like common sense, too much water can actually dry your skin out.
2. Break out the oil For skin that’s soft as a baby’s bottom, try indulging in some luxurious oils. First, open up your pores with a warm shower. Next, massage the baby oil into your skin, focusing on the roughest areas, like the elbows and knees. Finally, seal the moisture into your skin by standing under cold water. Slathering your skin with baby oil once or twice a week will make your skin significantly softer, smoother and more elastic.
3. Keep moisturizing! Immediately after stepping out of the shower, apply an intensive moisturizing cream to your damp skin. This will allow your skin to better absorb the moisturizer and reduce dryness and itchiness. Use an oil-based moisturizer on your body. For your face, it is important to use an unscented moisturizer that is specifically formulated for your skin type.
4. Don’t forget the SPF It may be overcast outside but that doesn’t mean your skin is safe from the sun. In fact, according to Health- Link BC, up to 80 per cent of the sun’s UV rays are reflected off of bright white snow. To prevent sun damage and drying, don’t forget to apply a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 to all exposed areas of the skin.
5. Fake the glow To fake a gorgeous glow, try using a sunless tanner. Not only is a selftanning moisturizer cheaper than baking in a tanning bed, but it also won’t give you cancer. That’s a definite bonus! To avoid those tell-tale self-tanner streaks, always exfoliate before use, avoid the elbows, knees and knuckles and don’t forget to wash your hands afterwards.
Photo: Lauren Strapagiel
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