How to Have Fabulous Skin in Winter: Part Three

Since I have discussed winter skin care for your face, hands and feet already, the only aspect left to talk about is your body in general. People often forget to take care of the skin on the rest of their body for some strange reason, but they should make sure this is a part of their daily regimen.

A primary skin issue in the winter visible on the skin of African Americans is their skin becomes “ashy.” When your skin is ashy, it is dry and a white hue reminiscent of chalk appears on your skin. If at anytime your skin becomes ashy, this is a visible sign from your body that your skin is dry and needs some special attention.

Pay attention to this sign because if you have never noticed, your skin is easily irritated by clothes and almost anything when it is dry. Your skin is also more susceptible to cuts and skin tears when it is dry because the cells are more rigid and more likely to easily separate on the cell level, so make sure you use lotion to avoid having this happen to your skin.

For some reason when I meet people they are always amazed at how soft my skin is and usually tell me so without hesitation. When they compliment me, I always think in my head, “Do most of the people you know have rough crocodile skin?” I of course use a scrub to help keep my skin soft, but I also use Dove’s Gentle Exfoliating Soap which helps to remove the top layer of dead skin by revealing softer, fresher skin each time I use it. Dove also has a Winter Care Soap which I heard works wonders, so you may want to consider trying this to help with your seasonal dry skin.

I know it is tempting to take a hot and steamy shower to warm you up in the winter, but this may cause more harm than good. People often use the steam room at the spa to remove impurities, so this is the exact effect the steam shower has on your skin in the winter, but it is removing essentials oils instead. In order to reverse this process, make sure you apply lotion once you finish your shower to reinvigorate your skin with the moisture it needs.

And while we are on the moisture topic, it is often a good idea to purchase a humidifier and use it in the winter. Because the heater in your home pumps out dry heat, it is often necessary to infuse some moisture into your home. The use of a humidifier ensures the moisture you do have in your skin does not simply evaporate into the atmosphere. However, a humidifier is not a magical solution, you will still need to moisturize.

I am not sure what it is, but people usually forget to apply lotion to their elbows for some reason. Since you often put a lot of pressure on your elbows and they rub against surfaces, you have to make sure you focus on this special area. One of my biggest pet peeves is an ashy elbow, so please make sure you take care of this problem and tell a friend when you see their elbows could use a little lotion.

There is a wide selection of lotions to choose from for your skin, but make sure it is a thicker one in the winter months and contains a lot of natural oil ingredients. The natural oils in lotions work best with your skin because your skin absorbs them easier and these oils last longer in your skin. Ever used a lotion which makes your skin feel good for the first five minutes after you apply it and then your skin feels dry again after this five minute period elapses? In this situation, the lotion has a lot of artificial ingredients and water which does not last long, so always try to use lotions which contain natural ingredients for this very reason.

As I have said in the last two parts of this series, dry skin is a serious issue, so if you have tried all the processes I recommended and your skin continues to be dry, please consult a dermatologist so they are able to prescribe you a medicated product to combat this problem.

After reading this three part winter skin care series, you now have everything you need to know in order to make it through the winter with fabulous looking skin. Your skin plays an important part in being fabulous because people often judge how you are based on your skin. When your skin looks tired, they think you are tired. When your skin looks fabulous, they think you are fabulous. Just because it is winter outside is not a reason to not have radiantly fabulous skin, so make sure you put the same effort towards keeping your skin fabulous as you put towards everything else fabulous in your life.

Because to be fabulous, you have to know what makes you fabulous!