The windier, cooler months are right here upon us, ready to wreak havoc on our skin. Unless you decide that you’re going to take matters into your own hands and combat dryness and flaking with your favorite moisturizers in a devout manner. If you refuse to let fall and winter dull your radiant glow, then keep this list handy and be prepared to become religious about skincare. Here’s how to keep your entire body smooth and quenched, from head to toe.
What to Moisturize & When
Eyes – The delicate skin around the eyes is the first area to start showing signs of aging. So keeping this sensitive area well-cared involves religious moisturizing with the lightest touch. Using your ring finger, lightly dab eye cream about an inch away from your eye – the cream will find its way to the areas that need moisturizing the most. Resist the urge to drag and pull as this will only accelerate sagging and wrinkling. Be sure to go all the way around the eye area. Do this twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Face – When it comes to your face, a good rule to follow is applying face moisturizer twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night before bed, even if you have oily skin. The key is to find the right moisturizer (gel or cream). Always apply moisturizer after cleaning your face, and before applying makeup. If you can find a moisturizer with sun block in it, that’s essential. Otherwise, moisturize, then add your SPF, and follow with your beauty products. Be gentle when applying moisturizer to the face so as not to damage the skin, and don’t forget to cover the neck and chest area. Note: If you use a serum, apply that before using the moisturizer.
Lips – Wearing beautiful lipstick colors only works when lips are perfectly smooth. Part of that begins with sloughing off dead skin cells with a gentle lip exfoliator. But the counterpart is a lip moisturizer to seal in that healthy new skin and keep it smooth. So, rule of thumb: Any time you’re going to wear a color that pops, exfoliate your lips gently and follow with a lip moisturizer. For daily use, try a lipstick with a moisturizing agent in it, like this Motives collagen core lip color. Also, in between, and particularly during the dryer months, keep a tinted lip balm with you for the healthiest, softest pout.
Body – Adding a moisturizing bath gel to your shower time can help keep your skin smooth and supple all over. If you have particularly dry skin, try adding a shower oil to your process – make it the last thing you put on before coming out of the shower. It’ll make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin.
Elbows – Elbows tend to dry out pretty quickly, particularly during the cooler fall and winter months. Opt for a thicker emollient cream one or two times a day, preferably in the morning and evening.
Hands – Hands are likely to be they dryest part of the body as we go about our day. Try to keep a tube of hand moisturizer with you to apply consistently whenever necessary to prevent hands from looking rough and worn.
Feet – Don’t forget to pamper your feet. They need a little TLC after pounding the pavement all day. Try to make it a habit to use a thicker emollient cream every night before going to bed. Lather it one and put on a pair of thick, comfy socks to retain the moisture until morning. Also, if you slough dead skin off your feet in the shower or during a pedicure, always follow with a moisturizer to repair the exfoliated area. (Note: Try to only do serious exfoliation twice a week, max. You need to give the skin a chance to heal in between treatments.)
How do you keep your skin looking its best?
