I don't know about you, but I'm thrilled for the cold weather months. When you live in the desert, the punishing heat of the summer seems endless and even a cloudy day is something to embrace like it's a national holiday.
When it's sweater weather, it's time to truly rejoice.
The only downside is that the cold weather months wreck havoc on our midlifer skin. If you're already prone to dryness or scaly, patchy spots, it doesn't take much more than a blast of cold air to make the situation even worse.
I went to my Hollywood beauty experts who had the best home recipes for cold weather dry skin issues:
CURES FOR DRY SKIN: COMBAT COLD WEATHER DRY SKIN - AN ACTION PLAN
STEP ONE: DRINK YOUR MOISTURE: Across the board, the experts insisted on drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily, especially in the cold weather months, to make sure that your skin stays dewy moist from the inside out.
STEP TWO: DON'T SKIP THE SUNSCREEN: It might seem that you're not getting that much sun during the cold weather months, but the opposite is true. Even if you're outside for limited amounts of time or the skies seem gray make sure to continue with your sunscreen. There is much less humidity in the air now and even a minor sunburn will dry your skin out even more, so protect yourself.
STEP THREE: LIMIT THE TIME YOU'RE IN THE BATH AND SHOWER
There's nothing nicer on a freezing cold day than sinking into a wonderful hot tub. If you're prone to dry skin, that soak (or a long shower) will dry your skin out even more. Try to lower the temp of your soak a few degrees and get out of the water before you hit Prunesville.
Natural Beauty Recipe: To combat the drying bath, add a cup of oatmeal to the water. It's a natural way to soothe your skin, get rid of itch and add moisture.
STEP FOUR: OIL UP
Keep a light oil or even olive oil on the shelf in your shower or the rim of the tub. Damp dry your skin and then oil your arms and legs to prevent that winter alligator skin. If the oil is right there, you will use it. One note: Make sure that you're careful in your tub and it doesn't become too slippery from residual oil. And warn other using the tub that it can be a little slick.
Natural Beauty Recipe: A great home spa treatment is to rub the oil over dry skin and then place a warm, moist towel over the treated area. Relax until the towel becomes cold and then wipe away any excess oil.
STEP FIVE: CONCOCT BEAUTY RECIPES FOR THE ENTIRE BODY
Natural Beauty Recipe: Take one teaspoon of glycerine and mix in two teaspoons of lemon juice and rose water. Keep this recipe on hand for the winter months because the mixture will help combat a dry face and neck, but you should also rub it on your elbows and knees to soften your skin.
Natural Beauty Recipe: Take one avocado and puree half of it in your food processor. Add one teaspoon of olive oil. Apply to your face as a mask and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse and moisturize.
STEP SIX: THINK ABOUT BUYING A HUMIDIFYER
They're cheaper these days and a great addition to a home where everyone experiences dry skin. Before you buy one, it's helpful to measure the humidy level in your house with a device called a hygrometer. They don't cost much and you can actually take a reading of how much humidity you're needing or lacking.
