Top tips for Winter skin care

When you're battling against the chill of winter, your thoughts probably turn to hot steamy baths and the central heating turned on full, but beware of both of these actions since they result in your skin becoming dry and flaky and losing its summer glow. You definitely need to step up your skin care a notch and the following tips will help.

Change your moisturiser

Chances are your summer moisturiser isn't having the desired effect in the cold season. You need to buy one which is rich and offers protection against the wind and cold. One good brand is Esse which is organic and contains some wonderful oils like Manketti and Yangu as well as grape seed extract which gives the skin greater elasticity.

Brush it up

Tackle the drying effects of winter by exfoliating your skin regularly which removes the dead cells, leaving your skin glowing and healthy. A great product to try is the exfoliating cream by Africology which is jammed full of shea butter, Jojoba and grape seed to make your skin feel heavenly soft.

Invest in a humidifier

This is the best way to prevent the air in your home from becoming too dry as often happens when the central heating is on. It also helps against problems such as sinusitis, allergies, colds and dry throats  which tend to occur during the winter season.

Top up on your vitamins

Eating healthily and making sure you get the right vitamins is essential to good looking skin. A lack of vitamin A and B can lead to dry skin so make sure you eat plenty of tomatoes, spinach, carrots and broccoli for your vitamin A and cabbage, cauliflower, peanuts, egg yolks and meat for vitamin B.

Turn down the heat

When there's a nip in the air it's tempting to take a long hot soak in the bath or a hot steamy shower. Try and avoid these since they dry the skin and instead use lukewarm water when rinsing your face and limit the time spent in the bath or shower to no more than 10 minutes. It's also a good idea to pat your skin dry rather than rub it and apply a good all over body moisturiser. A great product to try is the moisturising body milk  by Beaucience. This contains vitamin E, Marula oil and evening primrose to keep the skin silky smooth.