Brrrrrrrr, its January…Old Man Winter is knocking on our door……of all the things that can cause our skin to dry out…..sunburn, detergents, not drinking enough water, etc……, cold winter weather actually wreaks the most havoc.  Have you ever watched moisture condense on a window pane on a really cold day?  The cold air causes moisture to condense out of the air and become visible on the window.  Really cold air literally extracts moisture out of the air. These winter season skincare tips should help prevent over drying of your skin.

Bitter cold and blistering winds rob your skin of moisture quickly and result is often scaly, dry patches that ITCH terribly and are further prone to cracking and splitting.  The next time your feel your face burning or tingling in a brisk winter wind, remember you are actively losing precious moisture to evaporation.  Cold winter air literally sucks your skin dry.

Loss of moisture = skin shrinkage, lines, wrinkles, cracks, & discoloration. When you leave food uncovered in the refrigerator, what happens?  It dries out and eventually hardens and cracks. Look at the piece of lemon you left on the refrigerator shelf – unwrapped.  The same thing happens to your skin in the winter-time and is one of the leading causes of skin aging.  As each and every one of us ages, men and women alike, our skin becomes more fragile…..it becomes thinner and increasingly susceptible to drying out.

Now for the double whammy…..we fight cold weather by shutting ourselves up in snug and cozy homes heated with dehumidified air.  Now we have added insult to injury in terms of your skin hungrily searching for moisture.

In my prior work experience in the specialty chemical realm, I had the opportunity to sit with skin care chemists during a conference and discuss the importance of facial moisture in relation to cold weather, skin aging and everyone’s desire to avoid…(gasp!)……WRINKLES!  Miracle creams do not exist folks. But the application of nutrient moisture to our skin is within everyone’s reach.  The face suffers the effects of cold weather more than any other part of the body, due in part to the unavoidable daily exposure.

We don’t typically clothe our face. Far more than a fashion statement, the routine use of a scarf or wrap to block the wind provides important protection. However, you still have must keep facial skin moisturized, nourished and protected….which in turn, extends youthful radiance and yields a softer texture.

Before you head out the door this winter, try to get in the habit of applying some sort of facial moisturizer.  Our goat milk facial cream contains 80% organic content, does not clog pores and absorbs easily without greasiness.  As we’ve previously told you, your skin is both a barrier and an entry point to your body.  Broken skin is an invitation to infection. Winter weather compounds problems like eczema and dermatitis.

Here are a few other winter season skincare tips this winter…….

1. Moisturize – preferably nature based, skin-friendly lotions that absorb easily
2. Drink lots of water – the skin is 98% water and it has to be replenished daily
3. Humidify a room in your home during the winter…..your skin will thank you for it
4. Limit really hot baths or showers….yes they feel great, but they strip the skin of moisture
5. Bundle up well and protect your face and extremities during extreme cold snaps