Beauty & skincare expert spills secrets for gorgeous skin in the winter
(Use an all-natural USANA loofah to exfoliate and combat dull skin in the winter).
By Brittany Anas
First it was Decemberrrrr. Now it’s a “January bury” of snow. The Farmer’s Almanac hints we’ve still got cold winter weather ahead of us for February.
Old Man Winter has been persistent this year — even bringing a recent snow and ice storm to the unsuspecting South. And while rosy cheeks nipped by winter might be cute in storybooks, we all know in real life that winter weather can be harsh on our skin — and chapped cheeks are far from adorable.
We’ve turned to a leading beauty and skincare expert, Amy Chalmers — a Cosmetic Dermal Therapist — for a few tips on how to take care of our skin in the winter. Chalmers — USANA Health Sciences spokeswoman — tells us how to prep our skin for the winter. You might be surprised that your diet can even translate to better skin.
Dry skin is the most common winter skin problem, and Chalmers tells clients to buff their skin.
“Dead cells can linger on the surface of our skin for a while making it look dull. Buff your skin with a loofah or a cream exfoliator and get rid of that old, flaky skin,” she says.
This will get the blood on the surface of your skin flowing and can help your skin glow and feel smoother, longer.”
If you have sensitive skin, you can either do a very gentle exfoliation with a soft microfiber cloth or gentle washcloth. The, key is gentle versus rigorous movements for sensitive, irritated skin
Here are a few tips for better taking care of your skin in the winter:
Outside In Routine:
- Step 1: Gently remove dead skin cells: Try USANA’s Sensé Natural Loofah Glove. For the face, enzymes are the preferred method of exfoliation as they digest only the dead cells and leave the healthy cells intact. They are more controlled and are less likely to cause further irritation as often seen with high doses of alpha hydroxyl acid.
- Step 2: Once out of shower, immediately massage your body with a natural oil (this will help lock in the water from your shower) such as organic cold pressed coconut oil, rose hip seed oil or linseed oil, which are high in omega fatty acids. In the winter, skin tends to be more susceptible to irritation, dryness and redness.
- Step 3: Follow your oil massage with an additional moisturizer containing nature identical skin strengtheners such as ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. This super food combination fuels and feeds the skin to enable it to regulate its natural skin cell turnover and maintain adequate hydration and moisture levels in the skin. It also helps lock in the skin’s own water levels and prevents TEWL (trans epidermal water loss), preventing dehydration.
Inside Out Routine:
- Step 1: Hydration, hydration, hydration! As your skin is losing water into the dry atmosphere during the winter months, it will need some additional hydration and nourishment from the inside. We often forget that we need to hydrate even more in the winter due to water loss from low humidity levels in the air.
- Step 2: You can counter the drying effects of the harsh winter cold by pre-empting the weather changes and supply the body with the skin nourishing fats needed to feed and supply the skin from the inside out. Top food choices for rich omega oils come from cod, salmon, halibut, nuts and seeds such as flax, chia and walnuts. If your diet prevents you from consuming those foods, choose a supplement such as USANA’s BiOmega.
(Want to incorporate more salmon in your diet? Do it for your skin’s sake! Order salmon fire-roasted, lemon dill or traditional salmon fillets from Omaha Steaks, where you’ll earn 7 Cash Back from ShopAtHome.com. Read more articles about Omaha Steaks here).
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