The skin is our largest organ, and while it does provide us with a wonderful degree of protection, it is also susceptible to the environment, the elements, and our own negligence. During the winter, our skin needs to be looked after, but in a different way as in during the hotter months.
I feel the most basic mistake that people make is not drying their hands properly after getting them wet. Whether it is after a trip to the bathroom, an over-the-sink session of dish washing, or before you sit down to eat – it is important to wash your hands, and in the winter it is also just as important to thoroughly dry them. The most important tip I have for winter is: use separate, dry towels. Use a designated face towel and designated hand towel, which should be changed daily. Generally speaking, washing your hands should never be skipped. It’s unhygienic to use the bathroom and then not wash your hands afterwards. But when you do this, you need to make sure to dry your hands to stop the spread of bacteria. I’m not really sure how this works in terms of the water and bacteria spreading but I do know that it’s a thing and needs to be dealt with to avoid dry and dirty skin. Seeing someone leave the bathroom without washing their hands is one of the worst things to witness. You have to be on edge to make sure that you don’t end up touching anything else that they might have touched. It’s a really stressful experience. Just take five minutes to wash your hands to avoid all the drama.
Another catalyst of dryness is air conditioning. When we move from one area to the other, from the cold rain and chill winds to the “artificial” heat of air-conditioned rooms, we risk the shift harming our skin. Our extremities and our face (particularly the lips) are often more exposed, and so more prone to dryness and inflammation. ‘Tis the season, right?
Use skin cream. If you don’t want to use OTC products, and I don’t blame you, create your own DIY moisturizer using coconut, aloe vera, jojoba, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Check out some recipes and feel free to experiment with it. DIY recipe sound like more of a hassle than they actually are. One of the biggest benefits to using DIY recipes is that you avoid using all the harmful ingredients that you find in conventional cosmetics. And it’s not just cosmetics that could benefit from getting a DIY makeover. Your cleaning products and other home essentials would be better of going all natural too. It’s pretty much the only way to ensure that your body and health is being nourished rather than the opposite. When it comes to conventional products you rarely know exactly what is going into the formula. Ingredient transparency is pretty much non-existent.