Just when I thought I had my skincare routine in the bag, the seasons change and I find things aren’t working quite as well…My husband is often baffled when I ask him ‘How’s my skin looking? I’m trying something different.’ He wonders why I would ever change up my skin and makeup routine if I liked the one I already had. He was blessed with pretty agreeable skin - not too oily, not too dry, and as a guy his skin is naturally tougher and more resilient than mine. For him when the seasons change you might catch him wearing a bit more chapstick. For me, I always need a full lifestyle overhaul! Maintaining the health and beauty of your body’s largest organ, the skin, is just as much about what’s happening from the outside-in as it is the inside-out. Here are my five favorite tips for keeping your skin healthy, hydrated, and happy as cold climates are coming!
Drink water! Too obvious? Unfortunately, this common sense principle is rarely applied. It’s recommended to drink half your body weight in ounces every day (so if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking 75 ounces or 9ish cups of water daily). I recommend getting a large, stainless steel water canister that makes it easy to quantify if you’ve hit your goal. The stainless steel won’t leech BPA’s, phlalates, or other undesirable chemicals into your water, and knowing that you need to drink 2 or 3 canisters takes the guess work out of getting the right amount!
Adjust your basic skin care. This doesn’t mean switch up your whole routine. For me, I can slide from one season to the next by adjusting my toner and my foundation. In summer, I use a light toner that balances oil production, and in the fall and winter I use an emollient toner that conditions my skin. I do the same with my foundation, from something lightweight that controls oil and shine to something that hydrates and lifts as I go from sweating to shivering outside!
Use a humidifier. This is really the same principle as drinking water, except water gets absorbed through the outside of your skin. Most of us aren’t willing to go to the trouble of carrying a portable humidifier around with us during the day, but you can do your skin a world of good by turning on a humidifier in your bedroom at night!
Add a serum to your skin regimen. Another simple way to give your skin a hydration boost is to add a serum to the mix. One of my new favorites is Artistry Skin Nutrition Vitamin C + HA3 Daily Serum. This super-enriched formula includes multi-action superstar vitamin C (from acerola cherry, fresh from the farm) that helps to brighten, firm, and repair the appearance of lines and wrinkles. A triple Hyaluronic Acid blend gives your skin a smoother, more plumped appearance (fun fact: hyaluronic acid molecules bind to and absorb water up to ONE THOUSAND times its weight, making it the perfect topical hydrator and companion to a humidifier). Plus, a blend of peptides to take anti-line, -wrinkle, and -crinkle benefits to the next level!
Get your omegas! Essential fatty acids found in cold-water fish, nuts, flax seed, vegetable oils, and leafy vegetables can help regulate the skin’s oil production, improve balanced hydration, subdue breakouts, and minimize the signs of aging (making this a year round skin-superstar nutrient). Not convinced? Research shows omega 3s can also fight depression and anxiety, improve eye health, lower risk factors for heart disease, improve brain health, fight autoimmune disease, decrease inflammation, and mitigate metabolic syndrome (which includes belly fat). This one nutrient is so important for our overall health that I choose to take it as a daily supplement - it’s a gift I give my body in the winter and all year long!
Looking for a personalized approach to gorgeous, trouble-free skin? Contact me for a free skin analysis and functional facial (value $75).
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