How To Take Care Of Your Skin This Winter

 

The winter is a time of the year that our skin can take a beating from the elements. The wind and rain can do more than ruin our makeup. If you would like to make it to the new year with flawless skin, check out our top tips to ensure that your skin stays glowing during the winter months.


Moisturiser

The cold winter wind can do a great job of drying out our skin so it is important that we use a daily moisturiser to ensure that it doesn’t get damaged. The cold weather has a habit of drying out our skin and we don’t notice until it is too late. Make sure that you moisturise daily to keep your skin looking fresh and clear. Make sure that you are using the right one for your skin to help it stay clear as the wrong moisturiser can make your face break out in spots.


Sunscreen

Just because it is the winter doesn’t mean that you should abandon using sunscreen. The winter sun can be just as harsh as the summer sun. However, it can be even worse for our skin as the light can be reflected off the snow or surfaces that are wet from the rain. Always wear sunscreen, and if you can get your moisturiser or foundation with an SPF, then this is even better. And, don’t forget, sun damage is one of the main causes of wrinkles so never skip your SPF.


Stay Hydrated

The last thing that you want to do on a cold winter morning is to drink down a cold glass of water but you still need to hydrate. Herbal teas are a great alternative, especially if you can add some yummy honey for some extra boosts for your skin. If you are not a fan of drinking water, check out some of the new herbal infusions that you can add to your water to make it taste better. Although, if you are wanting something hot to drink, stay away from the coffee as caffeine can dry your skin out. 


Avoid Extreme Cold

If there is one bonus that has come out of working from home, it is that you don’t have to go out in the cold and get a face full of winter chill. The extreme temperature changes that come from leaving your house and going outside can cause your skin to change and dry out. Just because it is cold doesn’t mean that water isn’t evaporating from your skin. The extreme cold can cause your skin to dry out massively so make sure that you bundle up and protect your skin from the elements.


Wash your Face

This should go without saying but a lot of people don’t wash their faces at the end of the day. After you have been out and about, you should wash your face to remove the dirt and makeup that is on your face. After you have washed your face, make sure that you add some moisturiser to ensure that your skin is rehydrated again. The trick with washing your face in the winter is to use warm water, not hot. Some people use water that is too hot and it damages the skin so try to keep it a bit cooler.


Don’t Use Soap

On the back of the last point, we would like to remind everyone not to use soap on their face, especially during the winter. The formulas in most soaps are very drying and can cause sores on your skin. If you are going to use a bar of soap, make sure that it has been formulated for face washing to minimise the damage. Ideally, you should be using a face wash to remove the grime and makeup but a decent bar of soap will do.


No Tanning Beds

This might not apply to everyone reading this, but If you are a person who likes to use sunbeds or likes to lie in the sun during the summertime, now is the time to ditch that habit. As a general rule, tanning beds are bad news for your skin as they can cause wrinkles and skin cancer. Give your skin a break and protect it from the UV rays. If you can’t seem to leave them alone, try using a self-tanner to make your skin glow and shimmer rather than subject it to harsh UV rays.


Save Time - Use Overnight Treatments

If you are pressed for time, you might not have a chance to invest in a huge beauty routine to protect your skin. In this case, you will need to use an overnight treatment to make sure that your skin is being repaired. This can be as simple as falling asleep with a sheet face mask on and removing it the next morning. Only do this if it is a moisturising mask and not a refining one as you could end up with a skin burn. And yes, we know a lot of them say to leave on for 20 minutes but there have been many a night that we have fallen asleep with one on and woken up with it still there the next morning. Just choose your sheet mask wisely.


Save Energy - Turn Down the Heating

It might be tempting to turn the heating up but this can have a terrible effect on your skin. If you can, dial the heating back a little bit and have your home a little bit cooler. If you can’t do this, try and use a humidifier to add some moisture to the air. Our home heating has a habit of drying out our skin. But this isn’t the only place, your car is an even bigger culprit. If you can, try and keep the heating down low there too as we have noticed it can dry your skin out in no time. Try using a hat and gloves when you are driving to help keep you warmer. But if you start shaking with the cold, you definitely need to dial it up a few degrees.


Fresh Looks That Make You Seem Ten Years Younger

We tend to think that aging is a natural process, governed by the laws of biology. It’s a ticking clock that runs down every day until we finally pass on. 


But the more you investigate the topic, the more you discover that this way of viewing it just isn’t accurate. It’s not a deterministic process but rather something that we express as time goes by. 


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This view of aging seems a little strange when you first hear about it. We’re so used to the inevitability of it that the idea that you could somehow do something about it is offensive to our senses. But that’s actually the scientific and lived truth of the matter. How we age is very much a matter under our control. 


There are so many ways that you can look younger. And it all begins in the body itself. How you feel about your life, prospects and present self is possibly the most important thing you can do. The mind slowly transforms itself into the body so that, over time, you actually wind up looking how you feel on the outside. 


You already probably know this great truth intuitively. Think about the last time you went away on vacation and had a ball of a time. When you came back, everyone told you how revitalised and fresh you looked. You just chalked it up to the sun and sand. But it was actually something more profound. When you went away, you got back in touch with life itself. You temporarily left the heaviness of your regular life behind and simply enjoyed yourself. In other words, your mental state had a physical effect on the body. 


Now imagine if you could remain in that same mode of thinking not just for your break, but the whole year. Think about how different you could look and feel by the end of it. The change would be extraordinary. 


That’s the essential message of this post. Aging is more about how you feel than how you look. Whatever thoughts you cultivate on the inside will eventually make their way to your outside. 


So what can you do to change how you feel and how you look so that you appear ten years younger?


Get A Funky Haircut


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Getting a funky haircut is one of the most powerful things that you can do to make yourself look and feel younger. Every time you see yourself in the mirror, it reminds you of somebody in an earlier decade of life. That, in turn, actually changes the perceptions that you have of yourself. And you start unconsciously treating yourself as a more youthful person. It comes out in the way you walk, hold yourself, and the challenges in life that you’re willing to take on. 


Treat Your Hands


Have you ever noticed that people’s hands seem to give their age away? Well, that’s because the hands have to do more work than anything else in the body. They’re continually moving and clasping. And the skin on them has to endure that harshest of treatments. 


Looking after your hands involves reducing inflammation in your body and using plenty of natural, nourishing hand cream to keep the skin supple. 


The best ingredients include things like coconut oil and anti-inflammatory herbs. 


Smooth Your Neck


The neck and decolletage areas are among the first places that start aging on the body. That’s because the tissue here is highly susceptible to gravity. And the fat pads that hold everything in place during our youth begin to sag and head south. 


That’s why so many people get a neck lift before working on their faces. The problem is often found in the submental area, not in the eyes or cheeks.


Commit To Gentle, Uplifting Exercise


We have this idea in the West that exercise has to be punishing to be effective. But that’s just not true at all. If you look at most other cultures around the worth, their movement is always about helping to tune and align the body, not push it to its limits. 


One of the reasons we hate exercise is precisely because we think that we need to work up a sweat. If you let go of that idea and instead view the movement as a fun act of self-care, it utterly changes your perspective. Suddenly, you discover that movement is one of the best things in your life, not something you want to avoid. It sends signals to your body to act younger, and it listens. 


Caring for your Face: The Right and the Wrong


When it comes to your face, you should always remember that this is the part of your body that sees the weather first. The wind, sun, hot or cold all touches your face before anything else. There are so many ways that you need to look at caring for your face before any other body area - especially when you are living in extreme climate conditions. The way in which you care for your skin depends very much on the type of skin that you have. Someone with oily skin will care for their face differently from someone with dry skin, and it's important that you know the best way that you should be caring for your face.


Your skin, your eyes and even the skin on your lips needs to be hydrated and well taken care of. You should consider the makeup that you use, too, from eyeshadow to the mineral foundation that you choose, too. The more you take care of your skin, the better it will look and once you know what your skin type is you're going to find it so much easier to take care of it. So, how can you best take care of your skin?



  • The Basics. Cleansing, toning and moisturising - it's all you have been told, right? You can keep it so simple when you choose to find a good cleanser to cleanse the skin, but there's no need to choose a designer cleanser - you can get one from the pharmacy or beauty store that'll do exactly what it needs to do. Don't use soap as it can dry out the skin, but water and even cleansing milks will prevent your skin drying out. Use a toner to ensure that your pores are cleaned out and then add the right moisturiser to your skin to finish the trifecta.

  • Exfoliation. You don't need to do this every single day, but you will make a massive difference to your skin when you exfoliate a couple of times per week. Use a good exfoliation product and make sure that your scrub doesn't have tiny plastic balls in it: you'd do the environment a favour to avoid them. Know your skin, though, as you may have the skin type that will need it more than twice a week.

  • Moisturise. Your face requires hydration, and the best way that you can do that is with the correct one for your skin. When your skin feels tight or looks flaky, it means that it's dehydrated and really needs some love from you! You can choose to go natural with an oil for your skin instead, and coconut oil is a favourite for many! Whatever you do, make sure that your moisturiser has a good SPF. No matter where you are from or the tone of your skin, you need to ensure that it's sun protected at all times.


You need to ensure that your skin is looked after, especially if you are out in the fresh air a lot. The more protection you can offer it, the better hydrated it'll be!


Tips for Glowy Skin

 


Trying to find the right skincare routine for your skin tone is not always easy, and if you are struggling as a woman of colour to get the right routine down for your skincare, you are not alone. The good news is that you don't have to go too far to get your skincare routine in place - in fact, you can find much of it in your kitchen.


From the extra moisturising needed to how you wash your face, you'll know that our skin types may differe slightly from the mainstream. It doesn't have to be a huge issue though and once you have it down, you'll be indulging in the best from Zo Skin Health and more just to keep yourself feeling soft and smooth. Luxurious skincare doesn't have to cost a bomb, and with rich and natural oils, you can ensure that your skin is ready for the world. Here are some of the ways that you are going to be able to look after your skin well:


Crop gentle African American female with closed eyes and clean face enjoying cosmetic procedure for smoothing and moisturizing skin under eyes and removing dark circles

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  • Washing your face twice a day with a natural and gentle cleanser is the first thing that you should be doing with your skin. Gentle cleansers are important here because your skin deserves to feel soft and protected well. You can develop a healthy glow with natural face masks, too, and natural toning masks can help your skin to remain clear.

  • When you soak a washcloth in hot water, you can place this over your face for a few minutes at a time until it cools right down, and this will help your skin to feel fresh. It will help you to open your pores and you can do this before you wash your face, so that you know that your skin is properly cleaned deeply!

  • When you do wash your face, use a natural cleanser. This will help you to clean the skin without stripping back the protective layers. Coconut oils and aloe vera based cleansers are perfect for your skin. You can also use oats and other cleansing ingredients to ensure that your skin remains as healthy as possible.

  • Make your own toner with lemon juice and water and keep it in a bottle in the fridge. This can be applied to the skin with a cotton ball and you shouldn't rinse this off. The lemon and water mix together will create the perfect toner that hydrates the skin and makes your skin feel exceptionally healthy.

  • Once you have washed and toned your skin, indulge in nourishing oils. Olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil and even sweet almond oil are all great choices for your skin. Black skin can often be dry, so making sure that you leave the oils on overnight is important to give it time to sink in and really let your skin glow.

  • Twice a week, try out one of these homemade face masks and indulge a little! Soak in the bath while you do it so that you can truly relax. You only need to leave it on for fifteen minutes at a time, too, and just rinse with water!