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Cold Weather Skin Care Tips

woman-in-towel-putting-moisturizer-on-her-leg

As the weather turns colder many of us look forward to pumpkin spice lattes and hot chocolate, but the colder weather is not great for our skin. This is caused by the low humidity levels in the air which causes the air to be very dry, and in turn, removes the moisture from the skin. Cracking, bleeding, and itching skin are just some of the results of cold weather and lack of action to care for the moisture-lacking skin. When it’s time to turn on the furnace, many don’t realize that heat also steals the moisture from the skin through rough cleansers and hot showers.

Even though adding consistent moisture helps, most will need to do more to counteract the results of moisture lacking skin and will keep the skin looking healthy and smooth. At Precision Wellness, we realize that skincare and maintenance of moisture are very important and vital to healthy, youthful, and glowing skin. To reduce these problems, here are some tips from our Precision Wellness expert estheticians to keep your skin healthy and youthful.

Lukewarm Water is Your Friend

Even though hot showers always feel great when it’s cold, it is damaging your skin at the same time. A good time to use lukewarm water is when you’re just washing your face or hands, to avoid taking the oils away from the skin.

Moisturize Right After Every Wash

Your skin consistently needs moisture and moisturizing right after you wash is a great habit to get into. When you moisturize right after showering, it seals in the moisture you received from a lukewarm shower or bath. After you wash, it is good to have a bottle of lotion near you as a reminder to always apply it.

Choose Your Moisturizer Cautiously

Some of the very common moisturizers have petroleum-based ingredients, which can lead your skin to be drier in the winter months. A smart formula that has natural and nourishing ingredients is the best way to go when choosing a moisturizer. Also, an oil-based solution is a better option rather than a water-based one because it helps your skin retain moisture better. Here at Precision Wellness, we can give you more information on ingredients to avoid and ones to seek out.

Weather Protection

Wearing gloves and scarves are a must to protect skin from all of the harsh cold weather events that could happen. However, most forget that even if it’s not summer anymore, sunscreen is still essential to protecting your skin from the sun. While most will think that the summer sun is more damaging, in the winter the sun is just as strong and there is already a lack of moisture so apply sunscreen to any visible skin.

Humidify Your Home

While heating systems are very important in cold winter, they can dry out the air, but a humidifier can remedy this problem. They put moisture back into the air within your home and will then prevent your skin from drying out.

Drink More Water

Even though hot drinks like hot chocolate and tea are great in the winter, don’t forget that your body needs a lot of water because your skin also gets in moisture from the inside of your body. Warm water with lemon can be very effective in aiding in moisture and meets the heated drink requirement while also staying very hydrated at the same time.

Moisturize Every Night

Hands, elbows, feet, and knees tend to have thin skin and will lose moisture quicker than other areas. Using a deep moisturizing balm at night will hold the moisture in overnight and wearing socks after applying this balm will seal in the moisture.

Exfoliate Every Week

Most forget that if the dead cells are too plentiful, the moisture can’t find a way in, so exfoliating every week is essential. An exfoliating mask and body washes are great to use, especially when followed by a hydrating lotion or balm. Here at Precision Wellness, our estheticians specialize in exfoliating facials and body treatments and following with a moisturizer.

Avoid Toxins

Eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis are all very sensitive to allergens and irritants which can trigger a flare-up of the condition. This is because winter skin is more sensitive, so try and avoid irritating fabrics, use mild cleansers and sensitive skin moisturizers.

Hydrating Foods

Consuming foods high in water will help hydrate your skin from the inside. Apples, oranges, and watermelon are great fruit while, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots are great high water vegetables. Consider an omega-3 supplement, or possibly consume more fatty fish, if it works with your doctor’s recommended diet, to give your skin the building blocks it needs to appear smooth and healthy.

Switch Up Your Cleanser

Cleansers can be extremely drying to the skin. It is good to find more than one cleanser that works for your skin type and switch them every couple of months. After cleansing, apply a moisturizer to seal in the moisture.

We hope you found these skincare tips helpful and here at Precision Wellness we are always happy to help you achieve the relaxation or smooth skin you desire.

Dry Skin Brushing Benefits

dry skin brush on towel with essential oils and candles

Many people carefully tend to the skin on their face, regularly exfoliating, cleansing, and moisturizing. But when’s the last time you tended to the skin on the rest of your body?

Your skin is your largest organ, after all, and there is one simple step you can add to your morning routine that can greatly improve your health – dry skin brushing.

I’m not only referring to your skin’s aesthetic appearance, either (although many would agree this is important too). The benefits of dry skin brushing go beyond skin deep, offering whole-body benefits to your health.

Dry Skin Brushing: 7 Key Benefits

Your skin is a complex system made up of nerves, glands, and cell layers that, when healthy, serves as a buffer that helps protect your body from extreme temperatures and chemicals.

It also produces antibacterial substances to protect you from infection and enables your body to produce Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Your skin even contains densely packed nerve cells that act as messengers to your brain, making your skin a crucial part of your interactions with the world around you.

Another crucial role your skin plays is supporting optimal detoxification. But if your skin is overrun with toxins or dead skin cells, it will not be able to eliminate wastes from your body efficiently.

This is where dry skin brushing can be invaluable, not only in brushing off dead skin cells but also in activating waste removal via your lymph nodes. Beyond this, dry skin brushing offers multiple benefits including:

Stimulate Your Lymphatic System

In your body, your lymphatic system is the system responsible for eliminating cellular waste products. Hundreds of miles of lymphatic tubules allow waste to be collected from your tissues and transported to your blood for elimination, a process referred to as lymphatic drainage.

When your lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins can build up and make you sick. Lymphatic congestion is a major factor leading to inflammation and disease. By stimulating your lymphatic system and helping it release toxins, dry skin brushing is a powerful detoxification aid.

Exfoliation

Dry skin brushing removes dead dry skin, improving appearance, clearing your clogged pores, and allowing your skin to “breathe.”

Increase Circulation

When you dry brush your skin, it increases circulation to your skin, which encourages the elimination of metabolic waste.

Reduce Cellulite

Dry skin brushing may help to soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing fat deposits more evenly. This may help to diminish the appearance of cellulite.

Dry brushing is also said to help reduce cellulite by removing toxins that may break down connective tissue, although some believe the effect is temporary (and mostly a result of skin become plumper and swollen after brushing).

“When we’d heard dry skin brushing was an effective method for reducing cellulite, we knew we had to include it in our anti-cellulite road test. Sure enough, it was indeed one of the more successful ways to smooth away less-than-perfect spots on your legs.”

Huffington Post

Stress Relief

The act of dry brushing has been described as meditative (especially if you do it in a quiet space) and may reduce muscle tension, calm your mind, and relieve stress. Many compare it to a light whole-body massage.

Improve Digestion and Kidney Function

Dry skin brushing may go even deeper, helping to support your digestion and organ function.

“…many naturopathic doctors use dry brushing to help with bloating because massaging the lymph nodes helps the body shed excess water and toxins. One of the immediate effects of dry brushing is smoother skin, but it can also help improve digestion, kidney function, and more.”

Skincare and Spa Expert

It’s Invigorating

Many people become “addicted” to dry skin brushing (in a good way) because it simply feels so good. Along with glowing and tighter skin, regular dry skin brushers report feeling invigorated after a quick session.

Dry Brushing: How to Do It

First, you’ll need a high-quality dry brush. Look for one with bristles made from natural materials. They should feel stiff but not overly so. Ideally, choose a brush with a long handle so you can reach your entire back and other hard-to-reach spots.

Dry skin brushing should be done daily for best results, or even twice a day if you like. Try incorporating it into your normal daily routine, such as doing your brushing before your morning shower and then again after work (avoid doing it too close to bedtime, as it may leave you feeling energized).

When brushing, always brush toward your heart, which is best for circulation and your lymphatic system. You can brush your entire body (including the soles of your feet). Start at your feet and work your way up to your legs to your arms, chest, back, and stomach. Avoid brushing your face (unless you have a special brush designed for this delicate skin), your genitals, or any areas with irritations or abrasions (including varicose veins).

The pressure you apply while brushing your skin should be firm but not painful (avoid “scrubbing”). Your skin should be pink after a session (not red or irritated) and you can brush for as long (or as little) as you’d like. An average dry brushing session may last between two and 20 minutes.

Try It… You’ll Probably Get Hooked

The investment in dry skin brushing is small – you can find a high-quality brush for under $20 – but the pay-off is large. If you’ve never tried it, you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised.

“I’ve only been at this for about two weeks, but I’ve already experienced many of the benefits listed above. For one thing, dry skin brushing just feels really good. It’s one of those miraculous practices that manages to be both relaxing and energizing all at the same time. For another, it cured my cellulite! …Dry skin brushing also helped heal some ingrown hairs and some innocuous though unsightly bumps on my arms. My skin is softer and no longer dry or flakey. Additionally, though I’m not sure whether or not it’s related to dry skin brushing, I must say that I’ve been sleeping better and experiencing less ‘brain fog’ throughout the day!”

New Skin Brushing Devotee | Examiner

A Surefire Plan for Flawless Skin

Eating a healthy diet as described in my nutrition plan, which focuses on whole, bioavailable organic foods is your number one strategy for helping your body detox naturally while supplying the necessary nutrients your skin needs to thrive. Adding dry brushing on top of a healthful diet will only magnify its benefits. That said, certain foods are particularly effective at promoting beautiful, clear, healthy skin, so if you’re not yet eating the following on a regular basis, now is a great time to start:

Animal-based Omega-3 Fats

Ideally fresh, organic, and locally grown vegetables. Fresh vegetable juice is also wonderful for your skin, as are carotenoids, which give red, orange, and yellow fruits their color, and also occur in green vegetables. Studies have shown that eating foods with these deeply colored pigments can make your face actually look healthier than being tanned

Fermented Vegetables are even better as they can be made with the same vegetables but are converted by bacteria into superfoods. Fermented vegetables help promote the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria and aid in immune balance and digestion.

Astaxanthin—a potent antioxidant—has been found to offer effective protection against sun damage when taken as a daily supplement. Some sunscreens are also starting to use astaxanthin as an ingredient to protect your skin from damage.

Dry Brushing Routine

Once you’ve addressed the dietary suggestions above, the following routine can help you to remove excess flakes to reveal the glowing skin underneath.

  • Use a dry body brush to get rid of flakes, stimulate your lymphatic system, and more as described above (do this for a few minutes on your dry skin, before getting wet)
  • Avoid using soap or use the least amount possible, especially in winter or in dry climates, as this may promote and aggravate dry skin
  • Instead, apply a natural body scrub to exfoliate your skin (also apply this to your skin before getting wet, and choose one that also contains oil to moisturize)
  • After your shower, apply a heavy natural body butter or natural moisturizing oil (not mineral oil or baby oil) to help seal in moisture; coconut oil works well for this purpose

Learn more about our Hydrating Body Treatments.

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