Always around this time of year, starting mid-January through until March (unless Im lucky enough to travel somewhere gloriously warm and humid), my skin becomes painfully dry. Flakiness, itchiness, redness, cracking, scratching and even the flare up of my seasonal eczema are all side effects of this season!

So what do I do? I turn to these skincare practices to keep all that dry business aside! If skin hydration is something you’re looking for, stock up and give some of these a try!

SKINCARE

EXFOLIATE, TONE, MOISTURIZE, MASK

When it comes to taking care of your skin, I literally look at SKINCARE! I have the tendency to get lazy with my skincare regiment, but especially during this time of year, I put aside the laziness and dig in deep to being consistent with my routine! Exfoliation once a week – occasionally with a microdermabrasion treatment – is a must for removing those layers of dead skin, followed by a hydrating tonic, face serum (I look for ones with glycerin or beta-hyaluronic acid listed near the top of their ingredients), facial oil or heavy cream moisturizer. 2-3x a week with face masks – either commercially packaged or I lay a thick layer of heavy moisturizing cream and let it absorb for a few hours or overnight.

Im currently loving @sahajanskincare Ayurvedic products for body/hair (head to their site for 15% off with my code ‘JANICE15’ – ends 1/31/20) and @freskincare ‘I AM LOVE‘ oil by @taliasutra for face and the original creme de la mer as my go-to for a heavy overnight cream face-mask

COCONUT OIL

Not just for cooking, but also can be a wonder for your skin and hair! With high levels of Vitamin E, coconut oil is my go-to for keeping skin looking dewy, supple, and hydrated. You can use it as a hair mask, makeup remover, a bath boost, makeup remover, etc. Just be weary, if your skin tends to clog easily, you might want to keep the use of coconut oil to your body (instead of your face). And be sure to avoid baking out in the sun (or use an efficient SPF) or else you might just be cooking yourself! (I used it once in Bali, let’s just say…it was used for cooking…more like frying my skin! ouch!)

Favorite product: Kopari coconut melt

SUNSCREEN

More than ever am I learning how crucial it is to protect your skin from UV rays. Even in these gloomy winter months, UV rays penetrate the healthy layers of skin and can cause irreversible DNA damage and skin aging (photoaging). Look for broad-spectrum sunscreens of SPF 50 (at least SPF 30). Apply 20 minutes before heading out and reapply every 2 hours (if you’re wearing foundation, you might opt for a protective tinted moisturizer – i.e Josie Maran) Other good options are Beet Shield and Skin Aqua’s super moisture milk

MAKEUP

Besides your skincare, makeup can play a role in either keeping your skin hydrated or can even dehydrate your skin. In the winter months I opt for SPF cream-based foundations and brush a mineral-based loose powder to set it. But even better is a mineral foundation that can work for all months! @fitcover foundation is my personal go-to for its customizability. Use the powder for a matte-finish in the warmer months, or add a few drops of their ‘superfood HIIT serum‘ to magically transform powder to cream for additional moisture and coverage.

KEEP IT COOL (or lukewarm)

Did you know? Heat can be drying to our skin – avoid taking super hot showers and turning on your heater (wear more layers). But, if the cold gets to you (like it does to me), use bath-oil or bath-milk in that soothing hot bath and invest in a humidifier by your bed or desk to compensate for the drying hot temps!

DIET

DRINK MORE … water!

but before you say DUH…think about it, how much water are you drinking? It’s not about just chugging gallons of water at one time either (been there done that…even had water poisoning once – that’s another story – and man is it a real thing!), it’s about creating reminders and incentives to consistently and periodically drink water enjoyably! What I’m incredibly fond of is – fruit infusions! But, I also can tend to be on the lazy side…ergo, thank goodness for @healthymvmt water infusions! This dried pouches conveniently weight next to nothing (so hello travel buddy!) and magically transform your water into a light, fragrant, refreshing fruity drink!

What goes hand-in-hand with drinking more water is also balancing your electrolytes! Balancing your diet with nature’s abundance of electrolytes will do the trick! My favorite go-tos: coconut water and bananas!

VITAMIN C

In addition to being good for you immune system, Vitamin C is also shown to be critical for skin health. It plays an important role in making collagen (the protein that helps keep skin supple), protecting against UV damage (with the help of Vitamin E), stimulating anti-oxidants, and wound healing.

VITAMIN E

Along with Vitamin C, Vitamin E plays a role in UV protection, and has anti-inflammatory/antioxidant properties. Look for topical α-tocopherol for its most active form.

OMEGA 3/6

Can be protective against UV damage and helpful in decreasing the effects of photoaging. Studies suggest applying sunflower seed oil to dry, scaly skin can help!

The best way to absorb these vitamins? Eat your fruits and veggies, drink OJ, and take multi-vitamins!

Between religiously taking care of your skin and balancing your diet, not only will your skin glow, you’ll feel good! And, really, that’s what matters right? I hope you found this article helpful, and I’d love to hear from you! Let me know your thoughts, ask questions below, and/or pitch in your favorite tips/tricks below!

xx,

Janice Liou