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Our skin is affected by many factors like hormonal changes, weather, environmental exposures, poor diet, lack of sleep etc. The winter months are harsh on our skin; causing our bodies to lose moisture during this time. The cold weather can also cause cracked, dry, itchy and sensitive skin.
The picture of the hand is my daughters hand. This was one of her winters flareups. I later found out that an ingredient in the dish washing soap we used was making her flare up worse.
The recipes below are simple. You can add or take out ingredients depending on what your skin can tolerate. If you are interested in finding simple, inexpensive and natural ways to take care of your skin during the winter, these at home remedies will be helpful.
1A) Moisturizing bath oils and bath soak. This is a must in my household every fall and winter. This remedy helps our skin tremendously. Whatever oils works best for your skin you can use. For example: coconut oil (can be replace with babassu oil if you have coconut allergies), olive oil, sunflower oil, etc. Place in a bottle so that you can easily use it in your bathroom. Add about a cup of any of these oils to warm bath water and soak for about 10-15 minutes. You can add few drops of your favorite essential oils. Your tub will be slippery so be mindful not to fall. Bath oils are a great way to, moisturize your skin because as the oil and water are mixed together, its penetrating the skin deepest layer giving it a natural glow and softness.
1B) You can make a simple moisturizing bath soak to help moisturize your skin.
Recipe:
1-2 C Dead Sea salt- enhances skin hydration and penetrates deep into the skin.
1-2 c oats (grind medium to powder)- Oats helps to moisturize and protect dry skin
¼-1/2 c sunflower oil or oil of choice
Optional (calendula, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, roses) These ingredients are known to help with different skin issues. Grind them up into powder and add to bath mixture.
Add the mixture to your bath water and soak for 10-15 minutes. We use bath oils every other day and the bath soak 3-4 times a week. My daughter used to suffer from terrible eczema flareups during the fall and winter months; just by doing this on a regular and other remedies listed below, we are able to manage her symptoms.
2) Oats and Sugar body scrubs. Sugar is high in glycolic acid which helps to smooth out dead skin cells, hydrates dry skin, increases the penetration of other ingredients and a lot more. Let’s make it:
1 c of sugar (grind for those with eczema or irritated skin. It makes a huge difference. If you don’t have sensitive skin, use it like that)
¼ c oats (grind medium)
¼ c oil of choice (sunflower oil is great for eczema and sensitive skin. Other oil options olive oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, babassu oil)
If its too soupy add more sugar or oats. You want it to be more sandy than soupy.
Optional (calendula, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, roses) These ingredients are known to help with different skin issues. Grind them up into powder and add to bath mixture.
Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass jar. This can be store for up to 3 months if you don’t add water to it.
How we use it to get rid of dead skin. After our bath oil or bath soak, we pat dry our skin and scrub in circular motion. Rinse off, pat dry and apply moisturizer. This will leave your skin feeling so soft and supple. We use this 3-4 times a week to keep our skin moisturize and soft especially during the winter.
3) Eat right, sleep and Hydrate! Have you heard the saying “You are what you eat?” What you eat can have a huge impact on your skin. We try to eat foods rich in vitamins, C, A, E, D, and Omegas.
Hydration will help your skin to look more plump, improves skin elasticity, flush out toxins, improves your skin natural glow. Add some lemon, oranges, grapefruits or any fruits of choice to get the added vitamins that will help improve your skin from the inside out.
4) Invest in humidifier. Using humidifiers helps keep your skin hydrated. By the first week in November, I have humidifiers in every room of my house we are frequent in. I add few drops of lavender, or chamomile essential oils to our humidifiers to help our skin.
5) Use soaps and detergents that are gentle, and fragrance free. We all love nice smells; but when you have sensitive skin and heading into winter months, you want to be very careful of fragrances because they can irritate the skin.
6) Moisturize and moisture more. After washing up, do not let your skin dry before applying moisturizer. Apply moisturizer to damp skin because it helps the product absorbs deep within the skin. Again, think water + oils = natural glow and softness.
7) Don’t forget your face. During the winter months I tend to use more oils and butter base cleansers and moisturizers because it helps keeps my skin moisturize. Take notes on how your face reacts when the weather changes. Facial cleansers and moisturizers with alcohol and fragrance can cause irritation especially during the winter months. You can substitute with rose water, witch hazel or aloe Vera.
These are some simple tips my family and I use to help manage our skin at home especially during the winter. Its always best to talk with your doctor before starting any at home remedies or natural treatments.
If you want to learn more about taking care of your skin naturally at home without the use of harsh chemicals. Please add your email to my email list to receive notifications. Thanks for stopping by.
Written by: Elloise Nanayah Johnson owner of The Johnsons Natural Living
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