It’s winter – no doubt about it.  The air is cold and dry and so is your skin.  This is the time of year when all of us can’t help but notice that our hands, feet, elbows and knees are all exceptionally dry.  Don’t let winter get the best of you. Fight back with a weekly exfoliation and daily moisturizing treatment for your skin.

Exfoliate
With dry skin the important first step is to get rid of the rough stuff. From your hands to your toes a good scrub sheds the old layer and lets the new one shine through.  For body, there are a ton of options out there, with every beauty company in existence offering their own version of this essential basic.  Pick the one that appeals most to your senses and your skin’s needs.  Those with both natural oils as well as scrubbing granules will nurture your skin and keep it looking fresh.  Complete this beauty routine on a weekly basis in the shower or bath.

Hand exfoliator in the form of salt and sugar scrubs are a great treat for your hands and an easy way to keep them rejuvenated on a regular basis.   Crabtree and Evelyn Garden Collection make a scrub with salt and natural oils that is a favorite of mine and leaves my hands feeling soft and smooth again.

Moisturize
Let’s first start with your hands.  Purchase an absorbing lotion that is not greasy.  My personal favorite is H2O’s hand and nail cream, available at any Nordstrom store.  Keep it by the sink you use most, on your office desk, or in your purse for easy and frequent access.  Apply after regular hand washing throughout the day to protect against winter drying and harsh soaps.

For your daily routine be sure to apply an all over body moisturizer after each shower.  Body oil is also a good option here but be sure to let it fully absorb before getting dressed to avoid stains to your clothing.  (Yes-I do speak from experience here). For feet, elbows and other tough spots that tend to get extremely dry or crack, apply a super thick body butter after exfoliating.  At bedtime you can rub these thick creams into your feet, then put on your cotton socks to create a thermal and deep moisture treatment for your feet while you sleep.

Many of us also see and feel the results of winter dryness on our face and neck.  This is tough as you don’t want to look overly greasy on your face.  Try opting for the next level of richness in your regular moisturizer.  This keeps you from having to try many new ones before finding the right one as you already have a brand you can trust and rely on.  With an extra level of moisture you put old man winter at bay.

Not only are all of these ideas helpful and nurturing to your dry winter skin but they also force you to do something nice for yourself.  Even if it is just an extra five minutes in the shower for your salt scrub.

Enjoy!

Best-
Andrea

This entry was posted by Andrea Lim on January 22nd, 2007 under Beauty and Style with keywords .

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