Whether you thrive during the winter months, or loathe the onset of colder temperatures, there’s no denying that winter can be unforgivingly tough on your beauty routine. And since studies show that women feel most attractive during summertime, I thought why not share some winter survival tips I’ve found helpful.
When researching natural products, I discovered you don’t have to go broke for winter beauty. Actually, you probably already have the ingredients in your house — from food products to stuff you find on your desk or rolling around in that overflowing junk drawer, there are a myriad of ways to repurpose everyday household objects and items into beauty supplies. Essential oils, honey, olive oil, sea salt, brown sugar and rice. And because most of the stuff on this list is completely natural, you can feel good about going chemical-free when applying it to your face.
Hydrate from the inside out. Drinking water is essential for so many things, not just hydration. It speeds up your metabolism, gives your skin a healthy glow, helps maintain blood pressure and it helps deliver oxygen throughout the body.
Pamper your hair. It’s definitely easier to get healthy, shiny-looking hair if your hair is healthy and shiny. Avoid heat styling, or at least use a heat protectant and turn the temperature down on your flat iron to below 400°F. Finally, swap out your regular conditioner for a (natural beauty DIY) hair mask at least once a week for a deeper penetrating treatment. Your hair will be healthier and shinier in no time.
Treat your scalp to some TLC. Face it, the scalp is just skin and it needs love and care, too. The key to gorgeous, glossy, sleek strands of hair actually starts at the scalp. Coconut oil is ultra-moisturizing and soothing to the scalp. Use it once a week or every couple of weeks to give your hair and scalp moisture. Simply rub it into your hair and leave in for 45 minutes.
Exfoliate away the dullness. Exfoliating not only removes dead, it helps your skin regenerate faster and produce new, moisture rich cells. By removing the dry, flaky skin, your moisturizer is easily absorbed. For a winter glow, use a body scrub a few times a week in the shower and follow up with a body oil or creamy moisturizer. Just be careful around your face — it’s sensitive and you don’t want to damage any capillaries.
Moisturize your body. Lock moisture in place before outdoor activities with occlusive ingredients such as coconut oil and shea butter. (Occlusives can block pores and lead to pimples, so be sure to remove them at day’s end.) Always moisturize when skin is slightly damp.
Whiten your smile. After you’ve spent so much time on your hair, face and skin, it is easy to get sidetracked and forget about the most important part of looking radiant — your smile. Make it nice and bright just by simply switching your toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste can remove surface stains for those who love coffee, red wine or black tea. Whitening strips not only bleach off surface stains, they penetrate the enamel to remove stains from deep within the tooth — but if used incorrectly, they can be harmful to your teeth.
Roll away the stress. You’ve probably seen this tool popping up all over your social media feeds — the face roller, typically made from rose quartz, jade or other crystals, is designed to gently massage the face and stimulate the lymphatic system to decrease puffiness, ease tension and stimulate blood flow to increase your skin’s glow. By using the tool on various pressure points, it can also help with headaches including migraines. And it’s not too late to ask Santa to drop one in your stocking. 😉
Nourish your body and soul with fabulous food. Increasing healthy fats in your diet during the winter provides nourishment to cell membranes, helping them to better retain moisture. They also offer easily-burned energy that supports hormonal balance and blood sugar stability that beautify your skin. Opt for avocados, raw nuts and seeds, wild salmon and cold-pressed and unrefined oils like coconut, hemp and olive.
Go the extra mile for glowing skin. Exercise isn’t just for weight loss, it improves the health and apperance of your complexion and reduces the signs of aging. By raising your heart rate, you’re improving blood circulation to the skin, which allows your blood to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your skin so that it’s healthier.
Get your beauty sleep. Adequate sleep not only helps to prevent the tell-tale dark circles and bags of a night owl, but is also necessary to keep your immune system strong and to allow for much-needed body repair and maintenance.
Natural Beauty & DIY Makeup
Beat the Winter Blues
