Winter Skin in Care

Winter is upon us again and the heavy jerseys, coats, scarves, pale faces and chapped lips are making their appearance.

Of all the worst seasons for our skin winter has to be among the worst, skin dries up, lips get chapped and people just look pale.

It is vital to pay extra attention to your skin at this stage as it is more prone to dryness.

Yes I know Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and Tea are probably the only thing you want to be sipping during winter but Good old water is the way to keep hydrated. 

Add some zest to your water with Lemon or lime if you cannot really summon your thirst but remember that water wins when it comes to keeping your skin soft, supple, and moisturised.

No one likes getting up in the mornings during winter but drinking water keeps you energised and its way more healthy than that caffeine high you keep trying to get.

Someone accurately said that in winter, water bills go lower and Electricity bills higher.

There are two reasons for this: People take less baths in winter and when they do they take hot ones.

Both are wrong ways of going about things and here is why.

You need to bath and not just splash water over your body either but you need to exfoliate which is gently scrubbing your skin to remove dead skin cells and increase blood circulation..

Winter usually means dryer skin which makes it even more important to exfoliate regularly to get rid of dead skin cells and promote cell turnover.

Not bathing will leave your skin looking pale, tired, and wrinkled but by exfoliating you ensure yourself a smooth, brighter, and younger looking skin.

Yes it’s freezing and a hot steamy bath seems like the best remedy but do not take hot baths or showers either just warm water.

Hot water dries your skin because it opens your pores which cause moisture loss by stripping your skin of all its natural hydrating oils.

Moisturising is key, Gentlemen yes it feels like only women should apply lotion but please do your body a favour and lock in that moisture.

It is worth noting that lotion, or cream or butter that you use should not be on a dry body because overall the best moisture is water.

Your skin also gets thirsty so do not totally dry your body but apply on a partially wet skin, some people complain that they follow all these tips but they still dry up.

You may need to switch to a product that has heavier moisture also the age old faithful glycerine works wonders just add some more to your lotion.

You could also drop some Olive Oil (key word here) or Aloe Vera into your lotion as it’s a great way to moisturise your skin.

Always carry a lip balm (not lip gloss as its only shiny), actually invest in one from a credible source as your lips are usually more prone to dryness, and avoid licking your lips when they feel dry as this strips moisture off them.

Carry some hand cream or lotion as well, this does not mean you have to kill yourself financially just find a small bottle and pour some of your lotion in it and you are good to go.

Some people’s heels crack in winter it really is nothing to be ashamed of as this ranges from a variety of reasons from Hormones, genetics and dryness.

One way to help combat this is through gently scrubbing your heels in warm lemon water at night and then you rub heel lotion or Vaseline and wear socks.

For the parents it’s important to keep the little ones warm by following the above tips and dressing the little ones warmly.

Invest in colorful scarves, socks and head socks and keep the little ones active as this will help retain that glow that children always have.

That squeaky clean feeling that most parents want to achieve is not ideal for winter as it can lead to irritated skin for children.

Use a very mild soap during winter and ensure it is hypo allergenic as children have extremely sensitive skin.

Bear in mind that most of these lotions were not made with our climate in mind so try to be as careful with what you use as possible.

Model and Up Coming Fashion Designer Martha Chilongoshi has enviable flawless skin.

She says that she avoids any sort of creams and just uses ordinary lotion for her body and only glycerine on her face.

"I take a lot of water, so my skin is not pale because of dehydration, and I also avoid strongly scented soaps because they tend to be rough on the skin. "

 

Some Tips to Help You

Glycerine is your best friend in ensuring that your moisturizer reaches its ultimate potential. 

There’s a reason why generations of Zambian women have mixed their lotion with Glycerine and besides for very dry skin you can use it on its own.

Mix some drops of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the same used for cooking) into your lotion, for that extra moisture and glow.

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