keeping smooth in rough times: part two, winter beauty guide
(Find Part One here….)
Well, we’re a week and a half into January, and Vancouver is back to its wet, mid-cold ways, but all over the continent and beyond, people are still experiencing the worst weather this season has to give.
Freezing rain! Blowing snow! Tumbling temperatures!
And what comes along with that weather? Yep, you guessed it: a lot of beauty angst.
I’ve already covered what to do to keep your hair and face in great shape over the course of these fierce months, but what about the rest of you?
Well, the principles are remarkably the same. Namely:
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Hot water may warm you… but it also leaves your skin high and dry!
Apply lotions, creams and ointments to wet skin to seal in moisture.
For true protection, thicker is better. Choose occlusive balms and creams!
Consistent care saves the day.
So let’s get started!
In the shower or bath…
1. Don’t fry yourself! Yes, it’s cold outside. Yes, it’s tempting to compensate with heat. Yes… it feels SO good just to STAND there. But in the end, it will do horrible things to your skin. One of the reasons winter weather is so hard on our bodies is the sheer number of temperature fluctuations we see in a day: walking in and out of buildings, getting in and out of cars, taking layers on and off, etc.
And since the chill is so… chilly, we end up cranking up our auto heaters, our fireplaces, our space heaters… you name it. ColdHotColdHotColdHotColdHot!
Your skin doesn’t like that too much. And it REALLY doesn’t like it when you take your cold, naked body and light it on fire. It feels good for a moment… and then it starts stripping your skin of all the natural oils you need to keep nice and moist.
Keep your water at a reasonably warm temperature, and your body will lose the chill you got from getting out of bed and running for the shower soon enough.
2. Be gentle! Harsh scrubs and major lather-fests aren’t good for winter skin. You can scrub up a couple times a week — since you’re still building up dead skin — but try an oil-based salt or sugar scrub that leave softening oils behind after they exfoliate… and be sure to moisturize your damp skin after you’re done.
For shower gels, look for ones that moisturize — and use a shower puff to cut down on the amount of detergents you’re using on your skin.
You can even get in-shower moisturizers that leave a layer of protection on your skin. But I think putting something on your damp skin when you get out is just as good!
Note: Moisturizing stuff can gunk up your tub and turn it into a slippery death trap, so spritz it down with cleanser and give it a rinse when you do a scrub or use an in-shower moisturizer.
(Products: Hugo Naturals Grapefruit Shower Scrub, Ren Salt Exfoliating Body Balm, Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish, L’Occitane Amande Shower Oil, Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Body Wash, Aveeno Skin Relief or Advanced Care Body Wash, Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nurturing Body Washing Cream, Body Shop Aloe Gentle Shower Cream.)
Out of the shower…
1. Oil and water don’t mix! And that’s a good thing for you, because anything oil-based is going to trap the moisture next to your skin, and keep it from drying out all day. Slather on oils, moisturizer, body balm or body butters when your skin is damp (after a quick pat-dry, or not at all, if you don’t mind drip-drying.)
The key is to choose something that will stick around for a bit, even if you feel sticky for a few minutes. That just means it’s working!
And if you find your skin becomes sensitive along with feeling extra dry, avoid lotions and creams with strong scents — sometimes the perfumes will do a number on already-stripped skin.
2. A little bit of extra help goes a long way… If your skin is super-itchy, covered in a rash or welts, or just dry-beyond-dry, it’s worth it to have a chat with your doctor to make sure you don’t have eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis on top of winter-parched skin.
They can recommend what will work best for your particular skin needs, and potentially set you up with a prescription-strength cream that will fix what ails you.
Occasional, non-severe irritation can be solved with a bit of hydrocortisone cream, or some topical vitamin e oil. You can also try a lactic acid-based or uric acid-based lotion for a bit of extra penetration.
(Products: Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Oil (cheap and awesome!), Neutrogena Body Oil, Nuxe Body Oil, Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lotion, Mountain Ocean Skin Trip Lotion, Moisturel Lotion, Eucerin Lotion, Clinique Turnaround Body Lotion (for exfoliating), Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Body Lotion, Aquaphor Ointment, Glysomed Fragrance-Free Balm, Weleda Skin Food, Hugo Naturals Lotions (All scents), Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream/Ointment, Aveeno Anti-itch Ointment, Queen Helene Shea Butter, Body Shop Butters (Mango, Coconut and Shea, especially), Origins Precipitation and Shedonism lines, Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Butter… and many, many more.)
Hands and feet…
1. Cover up! Wear gloves and socks in harsh weather. It’s just common sense. And before you put on gloves, rub in a bit of hand cream. The gloves will heat it up and seal it in. This might make your feet a bit slippy in your shoes, however, so save the lotion-and-socks routine for bedtime.
2. Stay clean AND soft: Every time you wash your hands, slather on some cream or balm to prevent them from drying out in blast-heated rooms, cars, or out in the cold. Hand-washing is a major culprit for dry hands and nails even in the BEST of conditions.
3. Don’t get nailed: Nails will break, chip and split when they get dry, so keep your fingernails and toenails in good shape by massaging in a cuticle softener or oil in addition to your hand or foot cream.
4. Rub it in! Rub your hand or foot cream in well to make sure it heats up, and sinks in… instead of just sitting on the surface of your digits, waiting to be washed or wiped away.
(Products: Glysomed Hand Cream, Bliss Problem Salved 20 in 1 Wonder Balm, Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Ointment, Aveda Hand Relief, Foot Relief and Cuticle Control, Watkins Lemon Cuticle Butter, Burt’s Bees Hand Salve, Gehwol Foot Ointment (THE BEST), Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Cream, Gold Bond Anti-Itch Foot Ointment (for dry, cracked skin on your feet that itches, too), Vaseline Original Formula (nothing works better under thick cotton socks to make over dry feet), L’Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream, Philosophy Soul Owner.)
Make sure you share your favourites in the comments!
