As the ominous cold and dry winter winds make way, customise your skin regime to keep dry, patchy skin at bay.
Watch the Temperature. Hot water can help you relax but does more damage to your skin than you know. If you just can’t resist a really hot shower, take shorter showers to avoid very dry skin. Since I know my weakness for hot water, I massage my skin (body) with mustard oil before I step into the shower.
Switch to shower gels or body bath gels—they help maintain the pH balance of your skin.” I just finished my finished my bottle of Sephora Vanilla Body Wash but I also like Nuetrogena Rain Bath Gel. Slather on a moisturiser on damp skin to lock moisture.
Go for a Massage. The best thing about the cold season is that it’s ideal for relaxing oil massages and hydrating facials. Start at home by using coconut/almond/olive oil before you step in for a shower. Even adding few drops of the oil in your last two mugs of water and splashing on full body is a great idea.
Opt for an oil massage once in two weeks and a hydrating facial once a month. However, those suffering from acne or rosacea must speak to their dermat.
Switch to Creamy Moisturisers. Use moisturisers that are heavier and enriched with anti-oxidants, squalene, hyaluronic acid and essential fatty acids. Creams containing urea, glycerin, lactic acid, xylitol and honey are ideal for deep dermal hydration. Try Kama Ayurveda Kokum and Almond Body Butter along with an inexpensive lotion like Nivea Nourishing Lotion for Dry Skin. OTC Lotion brands like Efatop-PE Lotion, Cetaphil and Venusia can be applied at least 2 times in a day on sensitive, irritated skin.
Get soft hands and feet: Less humidity and constant exposure calls for special care of your hands and feet. Start by using a pumice stone or foot files during bathing time on your feet to help exfoliate skin. Baking soda is also an effective, inexpensive exfoliator for your hands. Make a paste with equal amounts of water and baking soda, rub it into your hands gently then rinse. Remember to moisturise immediately after.
Share your favourite products and tips in the comments’ section!
Manavi Siddhanti is a lifestyle journalist and ex-magazine editor based in New Delhi, India. She writes about beauty and lifestyle. Pragati Siddhanti is an IT manager who is based in Basel,Switzerland. She writes on travel, expat life and motherhood.
