Winter skincare tips - How to winter-proof your skin

With the cold, dry weather upon us, we all need to remember to keep ourselves moisturized! Yes, all of ourselves.  Not just our skin and lips, but our hair as well!  Keep reading for tips on how to winterize your body to keep it healthy and happy to avoid such an annoying period during those cold months!

 
Lips:  Yes, this seems to be the biggest and most well-known issue when the cold weather comes to town.  An easy way to fix this is to simply use chapstick.  I know, I know, it seems like a no brainer but you wouldn’t believe how many people I talk to who complain about their dry lips and when I ask them what chapstick they use they just say, “I don’t”. So I wonder why they’re even complaining since they’re not doing anything to prevent it!
Chapstick works by locking in moisture and are best applied after slightly dampened.  Be sure to read the ingredients list so you don’t put any harmful chemicals on your lips! If you prefer to do the DIY thing, here is a list of some all-natural ingredients that you can whip up at home:
·            Coconut oil- it’s that simple.  Keep a container of coconut oil around and just use your finger to apply to your lips whenever it’s needed.  You can even use an old lip gloss container like the one pictured right for more convenience.
·         Raw Honey – the upside to this is that it tastes DELICIOUS.  The downside is that it doesn’t stay on your lips too long – maybe it has something to do with licking it off? You can also combine this with the coconut oil to harden it a bit.
·         Aloe Vera Gel – this one doesn’t taste the greatest, so I do suggest mixing it with honey so it can be tolerated.  But it is great for dealing with already chapped/cracked lips.  The healing properties in aloe will soothe your chapped lips and relieve pain!
 
Skin:  Another very common problem.  Dry, tight skin, not only on your face but throughout your whole body.  There’s really only one thing you can do to stop this and that’s to keep yourself moisturized.  For me, I always put lotion on after I get out of the shower.  You get the most out of the lotion when your skin is open and supple for optimal absorption.  It’s hard to use oils and aloe on your entire body (unless you want to purchase a tub of aloe)– and honey is just down right STICKY! 
 
One of the most important places to keep your skin moist is on your face – especially for younger individuals since over dry skin as a youngster can actually cause a lot of premature aging. Whenever your skin starts to feel a little tight pile on the moisturizers!
 
*Always remember to wear an SPF on your face/skin – just because it’s cold outside, it doesn’t mean the sun isn’t there!*