Fall is sneaking up on us quickly, and that means winter is trailing close behind (ugh). Canadians are so totally #blessed to experience all four seasons, but this constant change can take a lot out of our skin. I’m sure everyone has their ride or die skin care regime, but more often than not, your holy grail products can’t battle the brutal winter. You would be lying if you said you didn’t love your skin more in the summer versus mid bone-chilling February. So ladies and gentlemen (because boys’ skin is hella important too), keep reading for some tips to keep that sexy summer glow going all winter long!
First and most importantly, you need to know that your skin health is a direct reflection of how you treat your body. Your diet and sleep schedule can really affect the well being of your skin. With that being said, being a college student doesn’t put you in the best position to get on that health grind, so here are a few simple tips that don’t take a lot of effort that you can incorporate into your busy life.
You’ve got to hydrate! Not only is water cheaper than pop and juice, but it’s much better for your overall health, not just your skin health. You’ll notice a huge difference in your skin and complexion (especially if you battle acne). Add some fresh lemon to your water if you aren’t ready to say goodbye to flavoured drinks. It also won’t kill you to use a refillable water bottle and help Mother Nature out. So, cut the sugary drinks out and mix in some water, fam. Bonus: Drink coconut water and/or green tea for extra skin hydration.
Beauty comes from the inside out, so take your vitamins! Again, your skin is a reflection of what you put in your body.
1. Vitamin A helps prevent rough skin and fight acne.
2. Vitamin C & E applied topically can help protect the natural collagen in your skin (collagen is what keep your skin plump; you’re welcome).
3. Vitamin B Complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12) all the “B” vitamins are incredibly powerful when promoting healthy skin; a lot of it has to do with cell growth. Google them. It will blow your mind.
4. Vitamin D is great for the winter months because us Canadians get super sun deprived.
Exfoliate & Moisturize throughout the winter months. Your skin can get dry and dull and that is not cute! Here is a quick DIY exfoliator to save your broke college booty some money. Make sure you always moisturize after you exfoliate, whether is it your face or your body. Also, avoid exfoliating more than once a week. Bonus: Pure coconut oil is a great moisturizer!
Add a vitamin-enriched serum under your current moisturizer. A good serum will change your skin game forever. There is a wide range of serums that target many different issues, but in the case of brightening skin, grab one with a vitamin C complex.
Another way to #treatyourself is a moisturizing facemask. The winter air really sucks the life (AKA moisture) out of your skin, which results in zero glow. Sephora brand has a wide range of sheet masks that only take 10 minutes out of your day to do, and they are reasonably priced!
Now that we’ve touched on interior health and skin care updates, let’s talk about makeup. The way you apply your makeup can give the illusion of a summer glow all winter long and there is no shame in faking it until you make it. So here are some quick tips:
- Stay away from matte foundations. This may sound scary to someone who has oily skin, but if you grab a foundation that is somewhere between matte and dewy, you’ll see a huge difference.
- Mix a liquid illuminator with your foundation. Turn your bedroom into a cosmetic chemistry lab and mix up your own foundation. A liquid illuminator can turn your matte foundation into the perfect dewy foundation for your skin type.
- Use a mineralized powder to set your face. This is a great tip for summer and winter months because mineralized powders give the skin a much more natural finish while still keeping your foundation in place.
- Highlight, highlight, highlight. Highlight cannot be stressed enough; this is an all year staple. There are many drugstore and high-end highlighters, so pick the prettiest one, brush it on the high points of your face, and boom, summer glow.
- Bronze it up. Nothing screams summer glow quite like a bronzed glow, and if you’re really missing summer, try Physicians Formula “Butter Bronzer”. It literally smells like coconuts, living for it.
- Self Tanner is not for everyone, but again, nothing screams summer more than a bronzed complexion.
Take care of your skin, Golden Hawks!