9 tips for keeping skin soft in winter
Cold weather can really take it out on your skin - itchy hats, icy winds and the dreaded cold or flu will all leave your skin looking and feeling dried out and raw. But it doesn’t have to be that way…
We’ve got 9 tips to keep your skin soft!
1. Get yourself a humidifier
It might sound crazy, but all that time spent inside curled up avoiding the icy weather will also dry out your skin! The dry heat from your radiators, combined with the lack of air circulation due to all windows being firmly shut, will dry your skin out just as much as braving the arctic temperatures, which is why you need to get a humidifier.
Put your humidifier in the living space that you use the most and set it to 60% - and get ready to replenish your skin’s surface layers and keep it soft whilst enjoying your next duvet day!
2. Change your duvet
Speaking of spending time indoors - you’re probably spending a lot more time with your duvet lately, right? If your skin is acne prone you probably know how important it is to wash your bed sheets on a regular basis i.e. every 7-10 days, but what about washing your duvet?
You should wash your duvet and pillows every 2 - 3 months, but before you stick it in your washing machine, check the label! Some duvets which are made of feather or down will need to be dry cleaned. If your duvet is machine washable then simply put it in the washing machine on a normal cycle at around 60° and then hang it up to dry.
Another pro tip is to swap your cotton bed sheets for a bamboo set! Not only is bamboo bedding super soft and environmentally friendly, it also keeps your bed cleaner for longer, as bamboo contains antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which will keep breakouts at bay too!
3. Change your Moisturizer
In this cold weather, there’s one thing we all need - a long-lasting moisturizer! Moisturizing regularly is the most effective way of tackling dry skin - hands down! But, some moisturizers are better than others. Our System Akvile moisturizer is perfect for treating skin morning and evening as its blend of active ingredients lock in moisture and fend off bacteria. We recommend applying our moisturizer within three to five minutes of coming out of the shower.
4. Glow up by making changes to your diet
We all want glowy, radiant and dewy skin, especially with all of those Christmas parties to go to! The good news is, you can make some changes to your diet to help your skin glow AND stay moist. We recommend cutting down on sugar as much as possible and adding lots of delicious veggies, fruit and sources of Omega 3. That means you can eat lots of avocados, walnuts, tomatoes, kale, spinach and chia seeds! Also, we know it’s Christmas time, but try to drink lots of water and not too much alcohol and coffee because both will dry out your skin.
5. Say no to harsh cleansers
When skin gets drier it can be tempting to try to reach for harsher cleansers in a bid to get rid of the dryness. But this won’t help as a lot of harsher cleansers and soaps will strip moisture from your skin. You need gentle cleansers instead, just like our System Akvile foaming cleanser. Our cleanser has the added bonus of using salicylic acid (BHA), which acts as an antimicrobial and skin exfoliant and aloe vera leaf extract which soothes and replenishes, leaving skin feeling clean and refreshed without any tightness, tautness or dryness. 10/10 would recommend!
6. Avoid really hot showers
It’s so tempting to treat ourselves to really long, really hot showers at this time of year, but really hot showers will strip your skin of its surface oils. We recommend keeping that shower lukewarm, not showering for longer than 10 minutes and showering without using any harsh loofahs or sponges. When you get out of the shower always make sure you have a fresh towel to hand and pat your skin dry instead of rubbing.
7. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate
The harsher exfoliants, although tempting to use on drier skin, can actually damage your skin, especially those that you need to scrub or use roughly on your skin. Our System Akvile exfoliant has been designed to be used 2-3 times a week. The blend of lactic acid (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA) work together to penetrate pores and fortify your skin with antimicrobial protection whilst exfoliating and hydrating your skin during the process. This winter, be kinder to your skin.
8. Stick to a good nighttime routine
Another very important tip for banishing that winter dryness is to find and stick to a good nighttime routine! Of course, we recommend our System Akvile routine which will help you to remove your makeup, cleanse, exfoliate, target and moisturize every night without fail.
9. Choose a good lip balm
If there’s one thing that really suffers in winter, it’s your lips! We hate it when our lips get chapped and flaky, which means it’s time to get a good lip balm. Not all lip balms were created equal so we recommend looking for ones with lanolin, beeswax and shea or coconut butter. Lanolin will protect your lips from harsh weather, beeswax helps retain water and is a natural antibacterial and the shea and coconut butters are great natural moisturizers!
Keeping skin soft during the winter doesn’t have to be difficult. Switch to our System Akvile Starter Set to treat your skin right during this most wonderful time of the year!
More info:
https://bamboosheetsshop.com/bamboo-bedding-eco-friendly/
https://www.makeup.com/product-spotlight-what-to-look-for-in-a-great-lip-balm
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/nov/19/seven-ways-to-tackle-dry-skin-in-winter