Staying Summer Silky in the Winter.

It’s the beginning of November and it seems quite clear that we’re in for a cold, cold winter. During the cold winter months, your beauty routine needs to go into overdrive. The harsh winter weather, along with the dry heat of the indoors, can cause skin to crack, nails to split, and hair to break. But there are some simple, but routine habits you must develop for your daily winter grooming.

Hydrate Your Skin

Whatever lotion you use to moisturize your skin during the warmer months, may not work as well in the winter months. Hydrate your skin with lotions that are rich in shea butter, glycerin, or petroleum. A lotion that I have found to protect the skin very well during the winter is Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion. Apply lotion right as you get out of the shower for maximum hydration. During the winter, we tend to take warmer showers and wear more abrasive clothing. However, try to bathe in lukewarm water using a gentle soap, such as Dove. And to counter the effect of thick, harsh sweaters and jackets, wear a cotton, long sleeve shirt underneath your clothing. Also, wear leggings underneath your pants to protect from the brisk air and from those heavy pants materials. For many of us, our hands and feet experience a persistent dryness during the winter. Just because you’re not wearing sandals anymore does not mean that your feet should not still look their best. To maintain soft, beautiful feet, latter your feet in a thick moisturizer and wear socks to bed. This will allow moisture to penetrate and soften the skin. You can perform a similar practice on your hands by applying lotion to your hands and wear gloves at all times when outside in the cold weather.

Nourish Your Nails

It is very important to apply lotion to your cuticle area several times a day. Do not just apply lotion, but massage it into each cuticle. This will prevent nails from chipping and skin from peeling in the cuticle area. It is important to have frequent manicures to keep the cuticle area free of jagged or peeling skin that can sometimes lead to painful and sore spots when we rip or bite the hanging skin.

Moisturize Your Hair

Keep your hair from breakage during the winter months by conditioning it every time you wash and by applying a leave-in conditioner. Once a week or every two weeks apply a deep conditioning treatment and leave it in for at least twenty minutes before rinsing it out. Like with showering, avoid washing your hair in extremely hot water. This dries out the scalp, which can lead to breakage. Also, taking vitamins (particularly Vitamin E and Biotin) and hydrating the scalp with oils rich in Vitamin E can help keep hair strong during the winter months.

Maintaining your skin, nails, and hair during the winter requires more effort than during the summer months, but it is an effort that is necessary to make sure that when next summer comes around, you are sandals and stripy dress ready. So as you use this time to hibernate, also use this time to hydrate. Stay moisturized, and stay pretty.