Blog
What lies beneath...Tips to combat dry skin
Monday 31st October 2016
At some point in our lives we have probably all suffered with a bout of dry skin.
Those tell tale signs of itchy, scaly inflamed patches that can take weeks to shift and leave your skin feeling irritated and far from healthy.
With the onset of these gorgeous Autumnal days the problem is only going to get worse, so Heavenly Green have put together a simple guide to help stop dry skin in its tracks!
What Causes Dry Skin?
1. Weather Changes
As Winter sets in, we experience more cold dry air which has less moisture in it. Combine that with harsh winds which strip your skin of it's natural surface oil and you will start to feel your skin getting dry and tight.
Hot baths or showers with the door closed provide a make shift steam room for your skin and can help you rehydrate naturally.
When facing cold weather outside make sure you protect your skin with a good daily moisturiser applied twice daily. We love Environ AVST 1 which contains highly potent levels vitamins A, C and E which will help to lock in moisture and protect your skin.
2. Certain Fabrics
Snuggling into a warm winter coat and pulling your scarf tight around your neck may sound great but in reality it can be really irritating to your skin.
Wool, synthetic fibres and waterproofing on jackets can all rub and irritate the skin. The neck is often a more sensitive area as the skin there is delicate and thin and not used to fabrics rubbing against it. Always allow your skin to breath and try to wear natural fibres when possible.
3. Diet
So it is a well known fact that winter brings warm drinks, more alcohol and indulgent treats! As fun as all those things are too much of them and you may have a problem on your hands.
Caffeine dries your skin out from the inside by acting as a diuretic, so make sure each cup of tea or coffee is followed by a glass of water.
Winter is the perfect time to drink your vitamins and introducing a vitamin and mineral drink into your daily skincare routine, can change the state of your skin in as little as a month.
Skinade is a drink packed full of marine collagen, vitamins and minerals which helps to rehydrate and plump your skin from the inside, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, AND works amazingly well as a hangover cure...I'm speaking from experience
4. Over cleansing
Remember a few blog posts back when I spoke about Skin pH over cleansing Is one of the worst offenders for creating dry skin. Alkaline, soapy based cleansers literally strip your skin of it's natural Acid Mantle leaving it open to bacteria, moisture loss and dryness. Use a gentle cleanser with a clean cotton pad ( not a 5 year old face flannel lying around in the bathroom) to gently remove makeup and surface debris.
So we now know some things that can cause your skin to feel dry, but how can we fix it.
Heavenly Green's Top 3 Tips for Combating Dry Skin
1. Ramp up your skincare routine
Introduce a serum or an extra moisturiser at this time of year, your skin will thank you for it. We simply adore Environ Super Moisturiser + as it does what exactly what it says on the tin and is our Winter lifesaver. Made with jojoba oil,pantheonal and Vitamin E it restores your skins natural oil balance and can be used in conjunction with your Environ AVST moisturiser.
2. Add Supplements
Omega oils, vitamin drinks or even just a basic multivitamin, winter is the best time to start supplementing your skincare with internal solutions. Treating the body from the inside out helps all your topical lotions and potions work faster and more effectively . Plus as an added bonus they treat the skin as a whole - not just where you apply them.
3. Turn the temperature down
Going from a freezing cold outside to a super hot inside confuses the skin and can cause that dry itchy feeling. Getting too close to an open fire can scorch the surface layer and leave you feeling hot and itchy. Try not to allow your house temperature to rival the Sahara Dessert and your skin ( and the environment) will thank you!
