Winter skincare tips for a healthy and nourished body | Health

When it comes to taking care of our skin, we only focus on the face and forget the 93% of the skin below our neck. As we see a change in season, we change our fashion and clothes, then why the same skincare routine? With the temperature dropping down in winter, our body is exposed to the harsh and dry weather. Be it climate change, clothes material, pollution, or internal and external factors, our bodies are subjected to skin issues that are often neglected. 

“Through data-backed research, it was observed that due to the lack of products focused on body care, consumers tend to skip the focus on their bodies. There is also a gap in understanding the various body skin conditions that one might be looking at and the ingredients our body needs,” says Neha Chandok, skincare expert and marketing lead of Boho Botanist.

The winter air is drier and so it leached moisture from the skin. “If you don’t follow a regime your skin will definitely feel dry and irritated. Make these few conscious changes in your daily self care to avoid while gamut of skin sensitivity issues,” says Dr Geeta Grewal, Cosmetic Surgeon and Founder of 9 Muses Wellness Clinic.

She suggests to avoid prolonged hot steamy showers and keep the exposure limited to 5 -7 minutes. “Prolonged Hot showers dehydrate your skin. Use hydrating cleanser on your skin and try to oil your skin with warm coconut oil pre shower. Follow the same ritual of using warm coconut oil after shower. Coconut oil has fatty acids similar to our skin. For luxurious skin experience, you can mix almond oil, jojoba oil, pomegranate seed oil, rose hip oil, sesame seed oil in coconut oil and apply it after shower.” says Grewal. Here are some tried and tested tips by the experts to nourish your skin through winter:

Use oil-based cleansers/body wash

As the first step of your winter routine, include almond or argan-based oil body wash in your body care regime. Such oil-based body wash acts as a double cleanser for your dry skin. It gives your skin that extra hydration, smoothening, and nourishment it requires in winter.

Use thick moisturizers day and night

Moisturizers are a must in winter. Skin needs moisturizing, as much as your body needs hydration. Use thick moisturizers that contain emollients like shea butter and avocado oil. Apply moisturizers on exposed skin like ankles, hands, and neck to prevent dryness and chicken skin. For better results use moisturizer before going to bed.

Scrub that dead skin once a week

People with dry skin should use a scrub at least once a week to get rid of the flaky skin. A cream-based scrub is gentle on the skin and doesn’t damage the skin. Almond powder and walnut shell are two excellent exfoliators but don’t damage the ingredients we swear by for the skin because of the fine size of crystals used in the scrub.

Use body oil to keep your skin nourished

Body oils are extremely good for winter, they take the moisturization to next level, especially if you have dry skin. And if you have oily skin, use dry oil. They are extremely nourishing and absolutely non-sticky. Use lighter oils that have ingredients such as argan, macadamia and buriti, and almond oil. Body oil is suitable for all skin types and gives an extremely satisfying level of moisturization and nourishment to your skin.

Eat healthy and keep yourself hydrated

It’s not enough to apply moisturizer if you don’t keep yourself hydrated. Drinking water is essential for everyone, especially those who have dry and dehydrated skin. Include seasonal veggies and fruits in your diet with nutrients your body needs during this time of the year.

Exfoliate and protect your lips

Keep a lip balm handy and apply it regularly on chapped lips. You can also use a toothbrush to exfoliate chapped and dry skin off your lips.

Inputs by Neha Chandok