We’ve all heard about how summer can damage your beauty routine. The harsh sun will fade your hair, burn your skin, or cause breakouts from sweat. So when winter rolls around, you may think you’re in the clear. Think again. Winter is just as severe on our bodies and calls for just as much attention and preparation. Making just a few easy changes to your normal beauty routine can make the biggest difference in protecting yourself against this upcoming season.
Skin If you didn’t know this already, colder air dries out your skin. This means moisturizing is an absolute necessity since the chilly winds will cause your skin (and lips) to crack.
Exfoliating is your best friend. By sloughing off dead layers of skin, you renew its surface instantly. It removes all of the debris left that your body expels. Just be sure not to overdo it, only 3-4 times a week, and always moisturize after.
Try a heavier or richer lotion in the winter if your normal moisturizer is lightweight. If you have oily skin, a lighter lotion should still work. If it’s not making the cut, try a moisturizing or hydrating mask once or twice or week that will provide that extra hydration boost. Petroleum jelly, like Aquaphor (my personal favorite), is another great product that can be applied to anywhere on the body for extra cracking for example on the elbows, lips and knees.
Hair The idea that heat is bad for hair is imprinted in our minds because of all of the hot tools we use while styling: straighteners, curling irons, blow dryers, etc. Surprisingly enough, too cold of air can be just a damaging. To protect your hair, focus on your ends as they will receive the most damage. When walking outside, wrap your scarf around the base of your hair while keeping your strands inside. Also, try an end treatment or oil to help seal in moisture when chilly winds take over.
Internal Your easiest solution: drink more water! Dehydrated skin’s first blame is that you are not hydrated internally. Another way to treat your body from the inside is by taking multivitamins like fish oil to give your hair and nails some extra help. With flu season going around, it also never hurts to amp your Vitamin C!
For comments or to ask style questions of your own and possibly be featured in a future blog, contact me at amlarso2@asu.edu. Or to hear more from the mind of a fashion blogger follow me @soamandawaslike.
