Winter Skin Care Tips!

The colder months have finally arrived in the warm & humid parts of India. It’s the time of the year where you put back all your swimwear and get all the quilts out. Late mornings, lazy evenings and lattes - lovely Winters! Winter also brings with it dry skin & chapped lips. It also happens to be Shaadi & Festive Season, where we’ve got to glow up. Therefore, we present to you some incredible hacks to achieve just that. 

Water Intake - Dehydration results in chapped lips. Providing enough water to your body means avoiding any such issues. H2O = Supple Skin. 

Moisturising, Oiling- Intense Winter calls for loads of moisturization. Stock up on lotions and creams. There is no requirement of purchasing expensive body butters to satisfy the needs of your skin. Stick to basic formulas. TIP- Please do not use body lotions on the face. The skin on your face is thinner than that on your body. It might cause breakouts. However, using face cream on the body is fine.

If all the products on the shelf confuse you, choose one of the following. 

• Baby Products: There is no harm in using baby lotions. You can blindly trust them. Keep in mind, however, that they aren’t very efficient for extreme conditions. They’re milder than other lotions. 

• Oils: Indian households trust Coconut oil for literally everything. I enjoy mixing this ethereal oil with my lotion to get the best of both worlds. It also seeps into my skin quickly. I would not recommend using coconut oil on your face since it’s comedogenic. That means that it might settle into your pores and give you a pimple friend the next day.

• Comment down below your preferred product so that we can share our opinion on it!  

TIP- Using moisturiser and oil on damp skin results in better absorption of the product. 

Oiling your hair must also be on your To-Do list. The scalp is also skin and requires nourishment as much as your skin does. Coconut oil will remain to be the preferred choice, but you can also try Castor Oil. Castor oil is dense and sticky therefore challenging to handle. One could try mixing it with other oils. I primarily value its growth properties. TIP - Castor oil on brows and lashes lengthen them. 

Lip Balm Dilemma - I don’t know if it’s with me, but I find lip balms aggravating dryness. It’s a cycle of chapped lips and dryness. It makes you use more lip balms, I suppose. Following the basics, in this case, is the way to go. Don’t peel off dry skin or mess with your lips. TIP - I beg you to stop licking your lips. Your saliva is drying them out instead of moisturising them. 

Showers - Even though the hot showers during cool days sound like a dream, you need to stop. Well, not entirely stop though there is a tiny problem with them. First of all, if the temperature is too high, you could damage your skin. Secondly, longer showers make your skin drier, which causes itchiness. What do we learn from this? Water inside - great! Water outside - umm meh. 

This also means that gloves shall be used while dishwashing. They also protect your manicure ;). 

Dandruff! - When I saw them appearing, I knew I had to write this blog! Dandruff is the white flaky stuff on your scalp. If you rub it a bit, it falls on your shoulder. It’s annoying and white. If you see it on your scalp, be assured winter is here. Just like monsoon brings a little hair fall, winter brings dandruff. Commonly, it occurs due to excessive dryness or extreme oiliness. The dry kind is on your shoulders. Oily dandruff gets stuck on your nail if you run your fingers through your hair. While you might need dermatological help if your dandruff is painful or in excess amount, there are some things you can keep in mind to avoid them. Routine cleaning is an obvious suggestion. Anti- Dandruff Shampoos are a suitable solution. I would recommend diluting it to avoid dryness or frizziness. 

TIP - Primarily, one must not use shampoo on the lengths. It might dry out those locks. 

A home remedy I tried was rinsing my hair with milk. It reduced my dandruff up to 70%. Though, I would not recommend it. Try it at your own risk because home remedies don’t work for all. The best tip would be to maintain a routine. Don’t confuse your hair or that might add to the problem. 

Socks - This is especially for those of you who live in freezing climates. Applying a thick layer of moisturizer on your feet and put on socks before you sleep. You will wake up with the softest feet in the world! 

Product Safety- Almost all beauty products are supposed to be kept at specific temperatures. Please keep that in mind, otherwise, you’ll have to deal with frozen foot cream. 

Nail Health - As you keep your hair and body happily moisturised, you shouldn't forget your cuticles. You may come across cuticle creams, but face creams to the job just as well. Oils are a good alternative too. 

The last tip would be to enjoy this season to the fullest! Also, realise how awfully cold it is because..ahem... climate change.