Whether you ski, motorcycle, ice skate, or just try to keep up with the kids’ activities during the winter, you need to make sure your skin and hair stay healthy when the weather gets cold and dry. Let’s face it, straw hair and flaky skin just aren’t attractive. Below you’ll find tips to help you maintain both during the winter.
Don’t dry out your skin and hair in the shower.
Something we’re all guilty of, especially during the winter, is showering with hot water. However, this is terrible for both our skin and hair. When you use hot water, a protective layer of oils called the stratum corneum, essentially melt. This layer protects keratinocyte cells, which make up your outer layer of skin (i.e. the epidermis), and your nails and hair. You need these protective oils to keep your skin, hair, and nails moist.
Tips:
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Take short, warm showers.
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Use a gentle, hypoallergenic cleanser, like Cetaphil, for your body and face.
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Use gentle shampoos that do not strip your hair, don’t wash your hair more than 2 to 3 times per week, and air-dry your hair if possible.
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Rinse your body and hair with cold, or cool, water before you get out of the shower. This will lock in the moisture in both your hair and skin, and close your skin’s pores. If you feel daring, switching back and forth between cold and warm water several times will also stimulate your body’s blood flow.
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Lightly pat dry your hair and skin; do not scrub it to dry it.
Condition, condition, condition!
Be sure to moisturize your lips, skin, and hair during the winter. Something basic like Burt’s Bees Lip Balm is simple and works great.
After you shower, you should try to put on lotion as soon as you can because this locks in moisture and your body’s stratum corneum oils. Emollient lotions, like H2O Plus Pepperberry Body Cream, are a great option because they strengthen the skin’s protective layers and help the skin retain moisture.
Hair generally has a PH level of between 3.5 and 5.5, so you need to rehydrate your hair, especially after the weather has gotten ahold of it. Choosing a conditioner with a PH level that is between 4.5 and 5.5 is ideal; L’Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss Moisturizing Conditioner Very Dry Damaged Hair is a high PH level conditioner.
Eat and drink for your beauty.
What you eat and drink directly affects your skin, hair, and nails. You should do the following for a great, moist complexion during the winter:
Drink:
- Plenty of water.
- Water with lemon, which helps your body get rid of toxins.
Eat:
- Almonds.
- Eggs.
- Fish, e.g. salmon.
- Greens, e.g. asparagus, kale, and spinach.
- Olive oil.
- Oranges.
- Pumpkin seeds.
- Sweet potatoes.