Dry Skin...itchy, scaly, redness,sensitivity, wrinkles etc.
Winter is the time when our skin dries out, gets red, sensitive, itchy or flakey and looks older due to more wrinkles caused by lack of hydration.
What causes this besides the cold winter weather?
After doing over 4 thousand facials and body treatments, I feel that there are 4 major factors causing dryness and aging to the skin. These are:
1. Genetics
2. Environment (outside and indoors)
3.Toxins
4. Stress - all of the first 3 stress our organs compromising our true natural
Immune system to work proficiently to repair and regenerate
healthy cells.
Our largest organ in our body is our Skin. Mother nature gave it a protective shell called the acid mantle that naturally prevent moisture from leaving the skin and protects the skin from environmental damage.
However due to most of the processed foods we all have eaten in the last 25 years, our immune,defense systems have been compromised...not as sharp as our forefathers. So please start eating more organic foods and slow foods. Prices will go down when we do this too.
Not only processed food for the skin but way tooooooo many chemicals and fragrances in products for the face and body are causing bad things happening in our bodies...organs, bloodstream...and onto the surface of the skin. This axiom is so true:" Our skin is our past!" So many chemicals produce toxins in our body, causing illness, irritation, breakouts, aging and stressing our largest organ, the skin.
Fortunately, organic products and Ayurvedic products are on the rise now in popularity especially where I live and work in Boulder, Colorado. Start researching, using the products at least for a month to see how your body and face start healing, correcting itself naturally as mother nature planned it.
In the meantime try doing these easy tips for more hydrated and younger looking skin in the winter:
A. Don't take long Hot showers or baths. Hot water dries out skin. Use lukewarm water about 5 to 10 min. in length.
B. Out of bath or shower, pat down body with towel and apply moisturizer to moist(not dry) body. This seals the moisture in better.
C. Exfoliate face weekly with lactic acid. This will help clean build ups on surface of skin and speed up your natural exfoliating process which slows down as we age. After we slough off dead skin, our skin absorbs better things like serums, moisturizers, and feels smoother and looks younger.
D. Exfoliate body with unrefined sugar and oils, and massage hydrating oils in your body. Nothing beats this treatment for soft, smooth, hydrated skin. All spas do this. I love this for my skin. My skin gets scaly so I exfoliate and wash off, pat dry and apply hydrating Ayurvedic oils to my body after each bath or shower. I've seen a big improvement in texture of my skin.
E. Eat and/or take essential fatty acids like omega 3 and 6, fatty fish weekly like salmon. When I started taking fish oils, my skin started looking and feeling more hydrated. It never itched like it did in past winters. Honey, avocados, water, teas, aloe vera are great...both externally and internally for dry skin conditions. I even use tea on the face. Look on the tea box..for irritation use tea that says soothing...chamomile, rose. Just use it lukewarm.
F. There is less humidity indoors so start running water in all rooms.Get a water fall, plants ( you have to water them), humidifier. If you don't have toddlers, I've put water in bath tub and rooms next to it are more hydrated.
A toddler could accidentally fall in tub and drown. I just recently bought a 20 gallon fish tank.Now my den is hydrated and love watching my two fish. Very soothing, relaxing and hydrating at same time.
G. Don't use soaps....I rather you use lukewarm water. Commercial soaps, cleansers have chemicals that strip the acid mantle i.e. your natural barrier
of sebum (oil) .Plus some chemicals are toxic!
Your natural skin's ph is acid 4.4 to 5.6. Most commercial soaps are alkaline ph of 9 or 10. So find a neutral ph (water) or closer to skin's ph.
Organic and Ayurvedic have the best ones I feel.
H. Hot tubs are fun especially in winter. Just make sure you wash off chlorine under shower with luke warm water and moisturize damp skin.
Sauna is good even though it's heat. It enhances the blood flow and the skin is nourished from inside out. Just don't overdo these. I cover head with wet cold towel while in sauna and steam.
I. Nourishment -- internally eat winter foods like winter squashes. One of my son's favorite is acorn squash. I cut in half, scoop out seeds, put little maple syrup and brown sugar and bake both halves upright in oven 350for about 25 minutes. Toast seeds and eat later. I read it's number one source of alpha-carotene and beta carotene, Vitamin C, manganese mineral and is an anti inflammatory food.
J. Hydrate skin with organic products like Shea butter, aloe Vera, Ayurvedic herbs both morning and night. I also like applying hydrating serums first to my face and then moisturize. Use SPF on top of these if going out doors in sun.Use Lip balm and eye creams both morning and night time. Remember you repair, regenerate your skin at night while you sleep. So night is very important to "treat" any problem like dryness or irritation. Day time helps seal in the moisture with creamy moisturizers and use mineral SPF .
So to sum up:
Lukewarm water internally and externally. Shorter baths/showers.
Hydrate body and skin on moist skin...not dry skin.
Essential fatty acids internally and externally.
Exfoliate body and face. Lactic acid best for hydration for face.
Serums, oils or moisturizers, eye and lip balms...all organic, not chemical.
Eat nourishing winter foods..nuts, fish, winter squash..organic if you can.
Hydrate indoors...waterfalls, plants, humidifier, fish tank.
Find something to bless or be thankful for every morning when wake up and just before going to bed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at Sensorielle Spa,
Colorado. See web site.
Sending love to your beautiful hydrated skin!
Beegee Stivers
Certified licensed esthetician
P.S. Do you want a free gift in learning to still your mind? Here it is: pretend your mind is your computer. You (your soul) is in charge. Your mind is what you have programmed. So when thoughts..good and bad..keep surfacing, hit Delete . Remember you, your higher self, is in control, not your mind. You are your programmer. So program your mind each day with good, healthy thoughts. And don't live or think in the past. What you think, do now in this present moment will set the stage for your future. Loving thoughts to you Now!
Sent from my iPad
