Radiant Winter Skin or Chapped Cheeks? Nurture vs Nature?

Winter (and Spring in the Rockies) conjures up images of white snow, hot cocoa and radiant glowing skin. That healthy glow we all have after sledding with our kids, or a great run down the ski slope. But are looks deceiving? Is our skin care regime working? Do we have radiant skin or dry, flaky, chapped cheeks? Winter can be brutal on our beautiful skin! The dry weather and cold conditions during this time of the year can cause our skin's natural moisture to evaporate. And it becomes worse each time we leave and enter a hot building!

Taking care of ourselves and our skin needs to be something we regularly address. The change of seasons is a perfect example. Thank goodness the solutions to dry chapped skin are simple, inexpensive and will return our beautiful healthy glow in no time!

Nurture yourself!

• Drink H2O (the health benefits are too many to list in one small blog!).


• Use a humidifier to bring some of the healthy moisture back into the air your furnace is drying out.


• Exfoliate the dead skin cells once or twice each week and your moisturizer will have the opportunity to target the areas that are craving the help.


• Ensure your toner does not have an astringent component (witch hazel and alcohol are two very such agents). The astringent will only dry your skin out further.


• Choose a moisturizer that contains lactic acid or salicylic acid, and remember to use it.


• Remembering to wash our hands frequently thru out the day will help to protect against the spread of germs, yet also dries our skin out further! Keep a pump lotion on your bathroom vanity and take the extra minute to relax and massage your palm, fingers and wrist until the lotion is absorbed. Reapply generously thru out the day.


• And as always, use sun screen! No matter what time of year, we are always at risk for sun exposure and therefore sun damage. Even on cloudy days or on the short jaunts to and from work, are skin is exposed.

Good skin care is easy, once we get the hang of it. And good radiant, healthy skin is a gift that keeps on giving!