This winter has been pretty typical of Austin. Freezing cold one day, the next feels like we’re in sunny California, then it’s back to freezing. The winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin. Luckily, I have a few simple steps to help you bring back some life back into dry, cracked, flaky, and dull skin.
To get your rosy glow back:
- First, exfoliate. A lot of lines are in the process of banning exfoliating beads in their products. One of the quickest fixes to slough off dead unwanted skin is right in your kitchen. Mix together 1 tbsp. of brown sugar and 1 tbsp. of coconut oil into a paste and massage and gently scrub your face in small circular motions. Rinse with a warm washcloth.
- Now that your face is freshly exfoliated, anything you add on top will sink in easier. With harsh weather conditions and finicky dry skin, it’s best to switch to an all purpose Gentle Gel Cleanser such as Neutrogena’s, CeraVe or Cetaphil to cleanse the skin.
- After your skin is clean, pat dry and let it fully dry for 10 minutes. TIME is exactly what your skin needs to remedy itself. I know it sounds insane to wait 10 minutes in between steps but allowing each product or action to have ample amount of time to actually sink in, will help do what it needs! Your skin will thank you for setting aside those extra moments of care!
- Serums are going to be your new friend in colder months, especially at night. (Again, the longer you can wait and let these products soak in, the better so why not do it while you’re catching some Zzz’s) There are a million different serums that promise relief to any skin condition you may be experiencing. Mix, match, and layer any serums that will deliver a punch of potent ingredients that will penetrate deep into your skin.
- Reach for any cream, oil, moisturizer with hyaluronic acid in it. This ingredient provides intense hydration, plumps the skin, creating a nice radiant glow. Vitamin C will help brighten your complexion too. Again, let this sink in for 10 minutes before your next step.
- If you need to reach for some makeup, prep your skin with a hydrating primer. A tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream is going to to be better than a liquid foundation. Again, the key is hydration. Best bet would be to mix a few drops of your foundation in your moisturizer for just another added layer and it’s going to sit better on your skin. Any kind of powder is definitely not your friend. It will adhere to any remnants of dry skin and make you look like a walking corpse. Ew.
- Since you’ve put serums, creams, gels, and moisturizers on your skin, stick with a cream or tint for your makeup. After your primer, a cheek tint under your foundation can mimic a natural flush. To warm up your complexion, reach for some bronzer. Chanel and RMS beauty have great cream bronzers that will help warm up your face. Trace a “3” and an “E” on both sides of your face, starting from your hairline, sweeping under the cheekbones then back to jawline and blend with fingers or Beauty Blender for a natural look. Cheek tints, stains, or cream blushes just used on the apples of the cheeks will give you a nice rosy glow.
- To achieve that glowy, dewy model skin, reach for a liquid highlighter/shimmer that compliments your skin tone. With your fingers tap the product down the bridge of your nose, inner tear ducts, trace a “C” starting at the brow bone, over and atop of the cheek bone and stop just under the pupil, and a dab on the Cupid’s Bow and blend by patting with your fingers or with a Beauty Blender. MAC’s Strobe cream is a personal favorite, Nars Liquid Illuminator and Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector are great products too.
Keep some Aquaphor close for particularly dry areas just in case!
xoK
