14 DAY TRIAL // The cold season, together with countless other factors, can have very negative effects on our skin, and this is definitely far from a revelation. For those of us who already have dry skin, what winter brings is not only snow and frosty weather, but also the situation of having to take concrete action to fight off its effects. This is precisely why dermatologists advise us to spare no expense for our skin, and go all natural to make it through the cold season looking gorgeous.
The first step we must take towards having healthy skin is, quite predictably, moisturizing. However, not all kinds of moisturizers are the good type, as we might make the mistake of believing at first. While our first thought would be to go out and get the first body lotion or hand cream that comes our way, dermatologists tell us that we should do our best to avoid commercial products because they contain all types of ingredients and additives that are anything but good for us. Instead, we should use natural oils, like virgin coconut oil, coconut butter or shea butter, which we must apply immediately after stepping out of the bath, when the pores are still open and absorb the moisturizer more easily.
With this in mind, experts tell us that there is yet another thing we tend to overlook - all of the above is practically useless if we don’t also make all efforts to avoid tap water as much as possible. Of course, this does not mean that we’re not to wash at all, just not with tap water because it contains chloride and many other chemicals that can damage the skin. Instead, we can use cold mineral water or even ice made from it to clean our face or, even better, an alcohol-free toner or cosmetic milk, which have the properties of cleaning the skin without irritating it, in addition to hydrating it.
The same amount of attention must also be paid while in the shower, especially if it’s not just the skin on the face and the hands that we’re having problems with. This is why we should replace all shower gels and soaps we have now with natural products, like a mild oatmeal soap, which can exfoliate and clean the skin gently. And that’s not all: we should also make sure we don’t spend too much time in the water – as a matter of fact, there are dermatologists out there who even recommend not spending more than three minutes a day in the water.
Last but not least, in order to beat dryness and have gorgeous skin over the cold season as well, a good idea (and investment) would be a humidifier. This way, we can make sure our skin is always at its best, and not only during and after a shower. Placed in our bedroom or in the area where we spend most of our time, the humidifier will ensure additional moisture in the air, which, in turn, will guarantee our skin condition will improve in practically no time.