Lizard skin in winter? Does your skin look like the bark on an old tree? So, why does our skin seem dry out and flake in the colder months – it is easy to think with lots of layers on, your skin is protected, right? Well, not so much – it depends on your skin care routine before you layer.
The combination of cold air, the winter wind, dry indoor heat and low humidity, combined with the need to sanitise so frequently now, can dry out your skin more than ever.
Some of the most common signs of dry skin are red or rough skin which turns into flaky, scaly itchy skin and at its worst, cracked and bleeding skin.
How to prevent dry winter skin
Luckily, dry winter skin isn’t inevitable. By looking after your skin, you can keep your skin soft, silky, smooth and looking vibrant all through winter.
Here are some tips to help you care for your skin over the next few months:
Hydrate from the inside – drink more water!We all know the skin is the body’s biggest organ and it needs water - constantly. A huge factor in keeping your skin healthy and radiant is to make sure you’re staying well hydrated throughout the day.
Through the evening or on days when you need the heating on for longer, run a humidifier to get some moisture back into the air. Just make sure to set it where it can’t be a trip hazard or no-one can pull it down on themselves.
Adjust the temperature around youYou've come in from the cold after a long day and the first instinct is to turn the heating up high, run a hot shower or bath and let the day’s pressures melt away. But, to nourish your skin, keep the air con/heating to a max of 20-22℃ - this is still much warmer than outside and will warm you and will also help the environment.
And when you are running that shower or bath, keeping the water temperature closer to body temperature will not strip away all the skin’s natural oils.
Finished bathing - pat your skin till it is almost dry (rather than a vigorous towel dry) and then apply a fabulous moisturiser to hydrate the top layer of your skin. If you treat yourself with Lemon Myrtle Fragrances Natural Lemon Myrtle™ Moisturiser, not only do you get skin which is silky smooth, but the uplifting fragrance of lemon myrtle will refresh you and uplift you for the evening ahead.
Cleanse – Moisturise; Sanitise – Moisturise
Good hygiene is so important – particularly these days, but all that washing, and sanitising can also strip your skin of its natural oils. It is vital to your skin to replace these oils and lock in the moisture – it is so important to moisturise any time you wash your skin but especially in winter.
Be gentle on your skin - go easy with exfoliants
Exfoliating - which helps remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, is valuable and can help keep your skin looking smooth and vibrant. But use a gentle exfoliant and always make sure you moisturise immediately afterwards.
Our Lemon Myrtle Fragrances Scrub Soap contains 100% Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil and Macadamia Oil to help restore your skin’s vibrancy and the 100% pure Lemon Myrtle leaf acts as the exfoliant.
Apply sunscreen daily – after moisturising
It can be tempting to cut sunscreen out of your daily routine — the harsh summer sun has abated but think again. The harmful UV rays can still damage your skin – so after moisturising, apply sunscreen to exposed skin.
Lemon Myrtle Fragrances products are designed to ensure the natural oils are not stripped from your skin and our skin hydration products are formulated on an organic aloe base to allow you to feel silky smooth skin - without that greasy feel.