Regimen.  That’s such a funny word.  Maybe not funny, haha, but funny as in interesting because it takes different connotations depending on who you are talking to.  For example, if you’re talking to someone in the military, “regimen” may take on a meaning of discipline.  If you’re talking to someone in the medical profession, they may see the word as plan of action for health and wellness. Not to mention it is just a funny sounding word. When I asked my 6-year-old daughter, she said it’s “someone who registers things”.  Good try, girl.  Good try indeed.  However you view the word “regimen”, it doesn’t have to invoke negative feelings (think eating regimen. Bleh.)  A regimen is simply a plan to incur a positive result.  In the winter, my skin is dry.  I mean really dry.  And not just my face.  My hands are dry, my legs are dry, and my face is dry.  Even my hair is dry.  Dry.  Dry.  Dry. But I have learned this winter that it doesn’t have to be the case.  That there is a regimen (and a simple one at that) to help ease the dryness that is inevitable.  And whether you find your skin in the same predicament as mine in the winter, this regimen is safe and good for all skin types.  The answer: Hydration, hydration, hydration.  In this post I will explain my skin care regimen that is not only simple, but safe for your body and the environment.

My Safe and Simple Winter Skin Care Regimen

Every winter, a little patch of dry skin appears on my forehead, and no matter what I do, it never seems to disappear.  This year, however, I have found a few products that have helped solve that problem, not just mask it for a little while like in years past.

Step 1: Cleanser

Beautycounter is a company that provides the solution to safe skin care and personal care products.  They have a list of ingredients, totaling over 1500 that they never use in their products (see ingredients on that list here).  This is a relief since I don’t know what a lot of those extremely difficult words mean and have been known to choose a product here or there that is bad, I mean REALLY bad for me and my skin.  This particular cleanser has organic coconut oil and aloe leaf extract that hydrates and soothes that itchy, dry skin.

Step 2: Facial Oil

Some of you read Step 2 and thought.  Oil.  Cool.  No worries, I use that every day anyway.  Others of you, like me initially, heard that and thought NO.  WAY.  N to the O!  It seemed so strange to me (especially being prone to breakouts) to put oil directly on my face.  I was against it from the start.  But shame on me!  Once I gave this a try, I was hooked!  Not only did it hydrate my skin where it needed it, it acted as a primer for my makeup, providing a smooth finish.  Boom and Boom.  There are 3 different facial oils in the Beautycounter+ line.  #1 is for sensitive skin and includes Vitamin C (yummy!).  #2 is a plumping oil which replenishes and reduces the appearances of fine lines.  The flowery smell is an absolute plus!!  #3 is a balancing oil with purifying charcoal that evens out complexion and actually absorbs excess oil (for those of you with active, oily skin).  Crazy, right?  But it’s SOOO good!

Step 3: Moisturizer

In the past, moisturizer was a no brainer.  A must have.  I never went without it, but I have found that there are days I skip this step due to the hydration that I already get from steps 1 and 2.  Nevertheless, there are occasions I use this moisturizer on top of the oil (after giving it a moment to absorb), providing extra hydration during those REALLY dry winter days.  This particular product has a bio-mimic technology that mimics your specific skin cells, giving you only the hydration you need for your skin type.

Occasional Night Time:  Hydrating Sleep Cream in a Cleansing Balm

Yes, you read that right.  Cleansing Balm.  However, this product has many uses.  For the sake of hydrating dry skin, I will focus on it’s ability to provide intense nourishment as an overnight mask, made with Vitamin C and raspberry and cranberry oils. I only use this after those days my skin meets the cold, dry air for an extended period of time (think a day of sledding or just going out to get the mail!)

Extra hydrating tips

While the products above are exceptional, effective, and SAFE (!), there are other things we can do to take care of our skin that don’t require product.

Stay hydrated

Our skin is your largest organ and made up of a lot of water (over 60% according to water.usgs.gov), so it makes sense that we need to keep it hydrated. But drinking 64 oz of water a day is a lot and might be hard to do, depending on your day job, but it is VITAL to keeping your skin hydrated.  I like to add a splash of cranberry juice or lemon juice to mine to make it taste better.  The better it tastes, the more I drink (duh!  It took me waaaay too long to figure that one out!).  Also, I tend to drink more when I drink from a straw, so my travel cups have straws to keep me sipping!

Avoid caffeine

This stimulant is very dehydrating.  Note**I didn’t tell you to cut it out (although some health professionals might, of which I am NOT (a professional, that is!). But when I drink an extra cup of coffee in the morning, I try to make sure to add an extra cup of water to my intake that day to restore any I lost.  Also, if you are to drink coffee in the afternoon, opt for decaf (and get better sleep while you’re at it!)

Eat foods high in water content

Fruits and vegetables have a very high water content.  Make sure you are stocking up on these to keep your parched skin at bay.  Soups low in sodium and calories are also a good water replenishment!

Now that you have read my simple and safe winter skin care regimen, maybe you would like to make some changes to help restore and hydrate your own parched skin.  Maybe you have a dry patch of your own, or your overactive skin gets really oily in the winter.  If you would like me to suggest a different approach to your skin care regimen based on your specific skin needs, please contact me here!  I’d love to help you however I can!  Happy hydrating!

I’m curious, how do you stay hydrated in the winter?  What are your go to “regimens”?

Disclaimer:  I am not a healthcare professional, nor do I pretend to be one on tv.  As with any major changes in your daily routine, be sure to check with your doctor first.