Winter Skin Care

Oh, Winter... This lovely season takes a special toll on your skin, which is normally still recuperating from summertime! Stressed from long hot days, the drying effects of chlorine water, too much time outdoors in the summer sun, and the dehydrating effects of air conditioning (so good but oh so bad), leaves your skin ready to hibernate for the winter. Instead of getting deserved rest and rejuvenation though, winter prepares our skin for the task of defending itself against winter weather! The chilling cold in the air from the sudden change of seasons usually leave's your skin chapped and dry.

Our skin is made up of different layers. The outer epithelial layer, our epidermis, is the most likely target of our environment. This means the epidermis is constantly peeling in the hopes to rejuvenate. During this course though, the skin can dry and you tend to lose that natural glow. Winter doesn't help either! Peeling is more likely to occur during this time as the winds are dry and squeeze out the natural oily texture of the skin. Blah! This leaves skin looking rough and chapped, and feeling tight and drawn. Dont fear though, here are a few tips in taking extra care for your skin during this season!

- As always, the most important part of winter skin care is keeping the whole body hydrated. Drink around 64 ounces or more of water daily. This will help hydrate your skin to prevent dryness and itching.

- I know it can be hard ladies, but puuulease, try to llimit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you intake.

- Using a moisturizer on the face is important, but so is having the proper sun protection. Many moisturizers have ratings between 8 and 15 SPF. If the sun is shining on the snow, you may need even more protection.

- Exfoliate once a week to get rid of flaky skin. Use a type of scrub that’s made for your skin type – and always remember to be gentle. The more oil a moisturizer contains the more effectively it protects against moisture loss. Moisturizers that come in ointment form contain the most oil because an ointment, by definition, consists of 80% oil and 20% water. This water-in-oil emulsion forms a protective layer on the skin and makes it more ‘moisturizing’ than creams and lotions. Ointments are especially beneficial when humidity is low. (PS - Ointments should not be used on areas of the body that tend to get hot and sweaty).

- With the heat on and the windows closed, the air inside can become very dry in the winter, causing dryness and itching. Try using a humidifier to place moisture in the air. If you don’t want to invest in an expensive humidifying system, smaller, relatively inexpensive humidifiers can be obtained at ocal drug stores.

- The most common triggers of the scratch/itch cycle are sweating and overheating. Wearing layers allows you to remove clothing as needed to prevent overheating. Be sure to wear loose-fitting cotton fabrics next to your skin. Avoid exposing skin to harsh winter elements such as freezing temperatures and drying cold winds. Dress warmly, in layers, and wear a hat, scarf and gloves when you go out in cold weather. Wear a natural lip balm to protect your lips. A light layer of ghee (clarified butter) can also work as natural lip protection!

-Sealing the skin with products are petroleum-based can trap moisture in your skin and give the feeling of protection. Since the skin also excretes, this interfere with its ability to eliminate toxins through the pores. Those trapped toxins only cause more scaling, flaking and thickening which will keep it drier than ever. The skin is then also sealed against absorbing any natural moisture that may be in the air. Try to use cosmetics and moisturizers that contain natural oils instead of petroleum-based products. Oily botanicals most closely resembles your skin's own natural oil and replenishes lost oils without clogging pores or blemishing skin.

And there you have it...

India's Spice Tradition ~ The Seasons & Your Skin

Many Westerners have been introduced to Ayurveda, a 5,000 year-old healthcare tradition. Ayurveda includes spice enhanced treatments for message, body oils, purifying wraps, masks, and scrubs. The over 2,000 herbs and spices are recognized for its unique therapeutic properties and corresponds to one of the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, or earth), and one of the six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, or astringent). Each spice and herb also has heating or cooling effects on the body and skin that helps to bring it back to a natural equilibrium. Different Ayurvedic combinations of spices are specifically suites to each of the three doshas…

So, you may be asking, what are doshas? The universe is composed of five elements that create three essential energies (or doshas) when combined: Vata (air & ether); Pitta (fire & water); Kapha (earth & water). It is said you are born with a unique combination of these three types. I identifying which one predominantly governs you will enable you to detect imbalances in your skin and body, so you can make changes before they lead to illness or disrupt your wellbeing.

This guide, courtesy of Susannah Marriotwill help you identify which description most closely resembles you... Thanks Spice Spa!

	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Body Shape	Slight	Medium Build	Heavy Build
Face Shape	Angular	Heart Shape	Round
Skin Type	Thin, Dry	Reddish	Oily, Thick
Perspiration	Light	Profuse	Moderate
Appetite	Variable	Dominant	Steady
Speech	Rapid	Penetrating	Monotonous
Movement	Quick	Dynamic	Slow
Energy	Nervous	Motivated	Enduring
Enthusiasm	Volatile	Passionate	Grounded
Mindset	Changeable	Sharp	Relaxed
Mode of Action	Erratic	Confident	Methodical
Key Emotional Trait	Excitability	Fieriness	Tenderness
Sleep Pattern	Light	Sound	Deep
Stress Response	Flight	Fight	Freeze

As doshas of the seasons flow into one another, your skin’s needs change. Adapt your beauty care regime to echo this natural seasonal movement!

Sping: As winter turns into spring, the energy of pitta predominates. This is a good time to detox after stagnation of winter. Use sandalwood face masks as you relax in a bath. Choose products with detoxifying fennel and black pepper.

Summer: Counter balance the fire element of this hot and dry pitta season with coconut or sunflower oil body rubs or massages, each morning before a cool shower. You can do this yourself, or if you are lucky to have someone willing to message you have them! Rub your scalp and the soles of your feet with coconut oil before going to bed. To promote sleep, put 2-3 drops of sandalwood essential oil on your pillow. Choose cooling products with sandalwood, coriander, and lemon grass.

Fall: Vita gains the ascendancy with cold, windy, and drying influences. Fight the appearance of wrinkles and flakes with sesame oil body messages before warm morning showers. Choose products with moisturizing and emollient avocado and almond.

Winter: In midwinter and early spring, kapha rules with cold, damp heaviness that makes skin sluggish and dull looking. Use warming oil treatments and take hot showers, saunas, and steam baths. Choose products with warming nutmeg, ginger, and black pepper.

Healthy Skin & Food

Each of us wants to have beautiful skin, and a healthy, balanced diet is one of the main keys to success. There are nutritional components and specific foods which can help you with your complexion and overall skin appearance. This is the biggest organ, exposed to everyday elements such as air pollution, free radicals, smoke and other toxins that necessitate a special care for it. If you want to help your skin to look better, you should limit preservatives, processed foods, and sugar, and increase specific types of foods.

Here are several foods with antioxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids which help your skin to look beautiful. They are also some of my favorites!

- Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, grapes, apricots, dark green leafy veggies, broccoli, red peppers, and carrots are oxidants that help to fight against free radicals, including those that damage your skin. By including all of these benefits to your diet, you will protect your skin cells which can slow the aging process. Yay!

- Essential fatty acids provide metabolites which are vital to membrane structure, cell functions, and maintaining the impermeability barriers of the skin. Fatty acids can be found in oily fish (herring, black cod, fresh tuna, rainbow trout, and salmon) and pressed oils (safflower, sunflower, canola, corn).

- Vitamin A is important in maintaining and repairing your skin tissue, and it can be found in (low-fat!) dairy products, sweet potatoes, tomato sauce, liver, eggs. The insufficiency of vitamin A can make your skin dry and itchy skin (and can even lose some of its elasticity, yuck!)

- B vitamins are suggested for stress, and consumption of it can help reduce dry and flaking skin. Grains and breads, rice, oatmeal, fish, eggs, all these contain vitamin B.

- Another quite significant key that help you to have a beautiful skin is Vitamin C. It is important for fighting sun damage, skin infections and healing wounds. You can drink orange or grapefruit juice or slice them up for a snack, and cook up some broccoli for dinner. MMMmmmmmhhh..

If I have said it once, I will say it again, the most important in all these factors is to not forget about hydration. Drink as much water as it possible!!! Ans there you have it...

Essential Vitamins

We need vitamins to keep our skin healthy and beautiful. Vitamin A is the most important wrinkle enemy we can put to use in order to have supple skin. Vitamin A deficiency is associated with thick, itchy and dry skin. B vitamins helps dull skin, while Vitamin C helps in manufacturing collagen, the basis of connective tissue that holds skin cells together. Vitamin E is an oil that can soften our complexion, and also acts as an antioxidant that protects against cell damage.

We also need vitamin D and if we spend 15 minutes in the sun every day, our skin absorbs the amount we need. However, the sun can also dry the skin and cause damage especially by speeding the aging process. Moisture is important in order to prevent the damage that sun, wind or cold can cause to our skin. In addition to drinking plenty of water, which is vital for the regeneration of cells, we can use a moisturizer.

Know Your Type

It is essential to know the kind of skin you have as proper care can help reduce, and sometimes cure, any condition. There are mainly 5 types of skin;

Normal: As like most things in this world, 'normal' is not a common skin type. You will have soft, smooth and evenly textured skin, with no flaky dead cells and no pores visible. Almost velvet like! There is a balanced distribution of oil and moisture enabling a clear complexion free from blemishes.

Sensitive: Change in environmental conditions, cosmetic procedures, makeup and other external applications can affect this skin's wellbeing. Symptoms can include redness, dryness, blotching, puffiness, etc.

Dry: If skin is dry it may appear patchy, reddened and flaky, especially around eyes and mouth. As we age dry skin may cause formation of fine lines on cheeks, under eyes and corners of mouth. These conditions happen when oil or glands are not supplying enough nourishment and lubrication to the skin. With proper care of dry skin, we can avoid the initiation of wrinkles in early age.

Oily / Greasy: This skin type is thick with perhaps "dull" like colour and shiny in appearance. Over secretions of oils can makes skin pores open and becomes sticky, which can then attracts dirt and dust from the environment. These particles can block pores which are already widely open, leading to the ever annoying issues of black head, white head and acne.

Combination: Commonly seen combination being some of the skin area is dry and some of the area is oily. Usually it follows the pattern of a "T". The greasy part is usually runs vertically around the nose, mouth and chin area, and horizontal on fore head (referred to as "T-Zone"). The cheeks are comparatively dry.

Our Skin

Many people don't know that our skin is the largest organ in the human body. Our skin separates us from the outer environment, protecting our internal organs from climate exposure, and acting as a filter by absorbing harsh toxins. Any problem or infection in our skin causes threat to not only our internal organs, but our overall wellbeing.

More importantly though; our skin provides the sensation of touch. Keep your skin healthy and respect it! After all, it is our outside window to the world.

Clean & Flirty

To Start... Inspiration.