I know for me personally it can be tough to keep my skin soft all winter long especially when we live in cold climates. We’ve all had the experience of dry hands after being out on a winter adventure, of seeing cracked elbows in a summer sundress. However dry skin doesn’t have to be a staple of our winter season or of our skin in general. Here are some easy steps and solutions to keep us soft all year!
1. Use an exfoliator once a week!
I’m sure everyone’s heard of the exfoliating lip scrubs that make our lips smooth and luscious every time we use them. The same thing goes for our skin! Exfoliating our skin with sand or sugar scrubs takes off the dead outer layer of our skin and allows for us to moisturize the new layer under. We are constantly losing skin cells and rejuvenating new ones because of the seven layers of skin we have all over our body, so if scrubbing off one layer sounds scary to you just know it’s no big deal. To exfoliate the skin you can simply squeeze the product into your hand and rub in small circles over the desired skin area. Some of my personal favorite exfoliators come from Bath and Body Works in the scents of “At the Beach” or “Love” and are around $16 each for an entire bottle, which for me personally lasts months.
2. Use a Cream Moisturizing Body Wash
Cream body washes are less harsh on the skin while still cleaning it by removing dirt, bacteria, and other irritants. They help provide the moisture needed to keep our skin hydrated and radiant all year round by trapping water and essential oils into the skin when applied. This is something that bar soap or traditional body wash simply cannot do. Moisturizing body washes also contains vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin E which has been studied and is known to help treat dry flaking skin, eczema, atopic dermatitis, and help limit the noticeability of scars on the skin’s surface.
3. Don’t take extremely hot showers
In the same way that hot drinks such as coffee dehydrate our bodies, hot showers dehydrate our skin and can leave us feeling dry and uncomfortable. To limit the amount of water we lose when showering we can cool down the temperature just a little bit. By limiting the amount of water our skin is losing, we’re limiting moisture leaving our body which will make our skin softer over time. If you’re still on the fence about cooling down your showers or baths there are other added perks to a cooler temperature too- such as increased body circulation.
4. Remember to moisturize within minutes of getting out
Because showering and bathing warm up your body temperature it also opens many of the small pores you have in your arms, legs, and torso. With all these open pores moisturizing is a great idea because it can get deep within the first and second layers of the skin and replenish the water lost during that shower or bath. Moisturizers also contain small amounts of oil that help trap excess water that’s still on the skin and hasn’t been absorbed yet so it has time to be absorbed and doesn’t evaporate immediately.
5. Bundle Up!
With the changing seasons and weather it can be hard to always remember to grab a scarf or a pair of gloves before heading out to brave the cold. But this extra layer can really help to keep our skin smooth and soft during the colder seasons. In the colder weather humidity levels drop to low levels, leaving the air dry which causes the water in our skin to evaporate quickly. This can leave our skin feeling dry, tight, and flakey. By wearing more layers (especially on our hands) the amount of water leaving our skin will decrease, allowing us to keep more moisture in our skin and helps with keeping that soft skin all year long.
6. Keep hand cream in your bag or pocket to use after washing them
With cold and flu season upon us handwashing is especially important in keeping ourselves healthy and keeping away those viruses and bacteria. But washing your hands to a more extensive extent can leave us with dry cracked skin. One easy way to prevent this is to keep a miniature sized hand cream in your wallet, purse, or pocket so you’re able to rehydrate your skin. Vaseline makes an inexpensive and moisture-rich perfect sized lotion that is my personal favorite to use.
Everyone knows that keeping smooth silky hydrates skin can be a challenge at times, especially during the cold weather months. But lotions, body washes, and exfoliators are an especially great way to help our skin- and they don’t have to be expensive to work well and keep our skin staying hydrated and smooth. Bath and Body, Saint Ives, Vaseline, and even Target and Walmart brands are some wonderful cheaper alternatives that work just as well as top-end brands. With these simple tips, we can keep our skin looking beautiful all year long!