The Winter months are always a challenge to stay warm, hydrated, and healthy. The change from going from indoor forced-heated, dry air to the icy outside cold and wet and back into the heated, dryer air is taxing on our bodies and especially our skin. Here are the top tips for keeping your body in tip top shape during this icy season.
1. Hydrate: Drink more water! Yes, it's not summer anymore but our bodies can need even more hydrating during the winter. With artificial heating and spending most of our time indoors, our skin can become very dry and even cracked. This can lead to everything from wrinkles to catching colds and the flu.
Drink properly PH-balanced, filtered water for the best results. Usually 3.7 liters a day is your target. We like Essentia and Fiji! This will not only help your skin, but keep you more alert, flush toxins from your body, and even help you sleep better!
After washing with soaps and cleansers, it's important to moisturize. Our skin has less water on the surface with less sweating and much dryer air. Use a moisturizer with botanicals, and even honeybee products (like honey, royal jelly, and beeswax). These organic elements protect the skin and keep moisture on the top epidermis layers. We suggest our Hivessence Daytime Ageless Moisturizer during the day. At night, use Hivessence Hydrating Face Moisturizer or Hivessence Hand & Body Restore Cream.
2. Use More Gentle and Organic Cleansers. Overly abrasive products and cleansers with alcohol can strip you skin of its natural moisture-insulating elements. Some new trends have us just using warm tap water with a bit of organic soap and gently rinsing. Using a charcoal mask once a week can remove dirt and clogging oil from your pores. We love our organic line of farm-milled soaps like Peppermint, Oatmeal, and Marble for the best results.
Also, the Hivessence Detoxifying Charcoal Mask is a great once a week treatment for your skin. Also, adding another level of serums and nighttime products like our STARSKIN Orglamic Celery Juice Serum and Oil Emulsion is an excellent way to help your skin repair itself while you sleep!
Remember, daily cleansing should leave your skin feeling fresh and refreshed. If your skin feels too tight and dry just minutes after a routine, it's a sign to use something more gentle and less abrasive. Also, use a cooler water rinse to tighten pores and encourage your immune system.
3. Caffeinated and Alcohol Drinks Dehydrate the Body.
The average person drinks more tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and more alcoholic drinks during the winter months. Staying warm, holiday parties, and celebrations are definitely part of the season but those beverages tend to dry our our bodies and skin. Make sure to off-set consumption of these with water to balance out the effect.
Caffeine and alcohol can also negatively impact our nutritional balance and health. With that in mind, up your vitamin intake for those ingredients that help us chase off colds and flus. Vitamins like C, D, B-complex, and A will help your skin and your immune system battle the winter months. Additionally, your skin needs them too! We like skincare packed with vitamins like our Hivessence CC Serum with Vitamin C and our Hivessence Fresh Tea Face Mist with Niacinamide (B3) and Aloe.