With fall in full swing and winter quickly approaching, the drop in temperature does not only give us rosy cheeks and frostbite, but it also dries out our skin. During the colder months, our skin and hair becomes dry and lackluster due to several factors. Bonnie LaPlante, an esthetician in Lenox, Mass., tells WebMD that, “As soon as you turn the heat on indoors, the skin starts to dry out.” But fear not, there are some ways to combat Mother Nature’s attack on our skin by implanting some tricks into our beauty regimen.
1) Exfoliate
Exfoliating removes your dead skin. Once the dead skin is removed, your skin will absorb moisturizer better.
2) Moisturize
It is extremely important to use moisturizer during every season. However, in the winter it is crucial. Moisturizing will completely rehydrate your skin. Personally, my favorite face lotion is Olay Complete with SPF because it leaves my face feeling smooth and protects my skin from the sun all year round. For body lotion any lotion made by Aveeno and Nivea are usually great.
However, Professor Ciezak, an adjunct communication professor uses coconut lotion during the winter. Coconut lotion provides an even deeper level of moisture than the average drugstore brand. Any lotion will do the trick, but coconut lotion will leave your skin extremely hydrated. These drugstore brands are reasonably priced making them affordable for us college students.
3) Lock in moisture
If you have a case of dry and cracked hands, there is a simple trick to solve your problem. Apply lotion on your hands before you go to bed. Lock in the moisture while your sleeping by wearing any type of gloves. When you wake up in the morning, your hands and feet will be extremely soft.
Nicole Gallagher, a sophomore psychology student, tried out this beauty hack and was stunned by her results. “I woke up the next morning and my hands went from being dry to super smooth. I would definitely recommend trying this trick.”
4) Stop the static
Do you usually suffer from fly aways and static hair? Invest in a deep conditioner to counteract the frizz. Also, using a dryer sheet helps to reduce static. You can run them along your hair or rub them on your brushes to win your fight against static cling.
5) Adjust your Diet
Eating foods that contain healthy fats restore the collagen in your body. Load up on some avocados for the guacamole and eat eggs for breakfast because collagen keeps our skin tissue healthy so it does not dry out, according to Live Strong.
6) Take Cold Showers
According to researchers, after 15 minutes, hot showers begin to compromise the lipid layer of skin, which holds moisture. So, shorten your shower time or take cooler showers during the winter to keep your skin’s moisture.
7) Cool down on the heat
Hot showers are not the only thing that dry out your skin, but also cranking up the heat will contribute your skin’s dryness. Naturally, on cool days your instinct is to raise the thermostat but by doing this your skin may become even more dry and cracked.
8) Don’t neglect your feet.
There’s nothing like cracked feet to say, “Let’s cuddle”. Even though we stow away our flip flops and open-toe shoes you should still get regular pedicures during the winter. It is recommended to get pedicures every six weeks, so once spring rolls back around your feet will be hydrated and flip-flop ready.
9) Stay Bronzed
Unfortunately, once the summer days dwindle away our tans fade along with it. There is nothing wrong with being pale, but sometimes you need a little color. During the winter, there is no need to sacrifice the look of sun-kissed skin with these simple tricks. Personally, my favorite bronzers are made by bare Minerals because their makeup looks so natural. Also, some self tanner lotions work well to give you a bronze glow.
10) Stay Hydrated
Although we tend to drink more water during the spring and summer. It is important to also stay hydrated during the winter months to reduce dry skin and dark circles.
11) Winter Lips
In the winter due to the cold temperatures our lips tend to suffer by becoming chapped and dry. When its cold out make sure to apply chap stick several times a day. When purchasing a lip balm search for hydrating ingredients, such as beeswax, shea butter, jojoba, and almond. Also, Vaseline works well.
Christina Termyna, a junior communication student expressed her need for chap stick at all times. “I never leave the house without Burt’s Bees in my bag during the winter.” Once your lips are fully hydrated pucker up and apply some dark shades of lipstick for the winter. Dark lipsticks are a huge trend right now and will add some drama to your everyday makeup look.
Implement these tricks into your routine and you are sure to overcome the winter’s attack on your beauty techniques. Trust me, everyone will be asking you for beauty advice this winter.
IMAGE TAKEN from freelargeimages.com
