Winter Skin Remedies!

Hello there Portland beauties!

It's Winter and if you haven't noticed, it's COLD out (yep, even here in Portland!)

And with this cold comes dry skin.

Here are some of my favorite winter skin remedies:

• Drink water infused with cucumber - Cucumber is fabulous for your skin because it contains silica, which boosts moisture and elasticity. I'm not the biggest fan of chomping on cucumbers, but I DO love infusing my water with them. Pour yourself a pitcher of filtered water, toss about 5 slices of cucumber in and let them soak for 15 minutes or more and then drink throughout the day. I think you'll find that you will end up drinking even more water because it tastes even yummier than plain old water.

• Quickly tone the skin with a PH balanced toner after getting our of the shower - After you take a bath or shower and the room is all hot and steamy, quickly tone your skin with a ph balanced toner that is free of drying agents such as alcohol. It will help to moderate oil production and prep the skin for your moisture cream. Wanna learn more about facial toner? Read an article we wrote on it here.

• Use a water-based moisture cream followed by an hydrating oil or balm - While you might be tempted to combat your dry skin with a lovely facial oil, it won't be as hydrating as applying a water-based moisture cream first! Why? Well our skin and our body is mostly comprised of water and water molecules can penetrate more deeply into our skin than oil. Thus, first applying a water-based moisture cream and THEN an oil or balm is a great way to make sure that your skin will get hydrated and that this hydration will be sealed in! It's not always the most obvious, but trust me on this, it will really help to quickly re-hydrate your skin. (For a water-based cream that includes healthy oils, try our Hella Hydration Moisture Cream!)

• DYI Facial Steam - Ok, so you might not be able to budget for a facial every single week, but you can give your skin a quick pick-me-up by gently cleansing it and then steaming it with hot water and herbs. My recommendation is to place a small towel on your coffee table and then place a big metal bowl on top. Then put a few drops of essential oil and dried herbs (such as rose petals, lavender or spruce) in the bowl and heat up a tea kettle's worth of water. gently pour the water into the bowl, but don't touch the bowl...if it's metal then it will be HOT! Then place a larger towel over your head and hover over the bowl, fully enclosing yourself in the sweet scents and heat. This will soften your pores and it will help activate your treatment masks! Finish with toner and moisture cream (see above recommendations).

BAM! And there you have yourself a mini rehydration plan to help carry you through the cold months. Some of these are easy to do daily while others you might save for a special once a week treat between your regularly scheduled facials.Our personal favorite facial for this time of year is the Glow Bomb which uses a powerful fusion of techniques and products that will eave your skin with a magic glow for days.Do you have any other favorite dry skin remedies for this time of year? Feel free to share in the comments section below!