Essential Oils for Winter Skincare

As winter approaches, your skin starts developing dry spots, and becomes tight and itchy. While you may be moisturizing your skin daily with creams and lotions, that may not be enough. That’s where body oils help. They are not only great for massages, but also soothe, tighten and reduce marks on your skin. These oils contain fatty acids that nourish your skin and form a protective barrier. Says beauty expert Nikos Narkissos, “Like facial creams, you must opt for a body oil that suits your skin. This will keep your body soft and glowing and will not lead to any rashes or irritation.”

Oils For Each Skin Type

Dry skinYou must choose oils that are thick or greasy. Adds Narkissos, “Those with thick moisturizing properties are ideal for dry skin. You can also take a tablespoon of oil and mix it with a lotion or cream and apply it after bath.” 

Oily skin
Light body oil is the perfect bet for you. Apply it before you take a shower, and keep it for at least half an hour so that it gets easily absorbed in your skin. 
Normal skin: You should choose an oil that penetrates deep into your skin and provides hydration. You can mix a lightweight oil and a nourishing one and apply it before or after you’ve taken a bath. 

Sensitive skin
Beauty expert Farheen Shaikh says, “Those with sensitive skin should ideally not use body oil. However, in case you want to, choose one that does not contain any fragrance. This will prevent you from developing rashes.”

Types of oils to choose from

Here are a variety of oils that you can choose from, according to your skin type. 

Dry skin

• Sesame oil: This greasy oil is traditionally used at various massage centers to relieve dry, cracked skin.
• Avocado oil: A thick oil, it helps rehydrate the skin. Avocado is full of nutrients, which repair damaged skin.
• Jojoba oil: It has properties similar to the body’s natural moisturizing system, thus helping the skin heal naturally.

Normal skin

• Sweet almond oil: It contains vitamin D and keeps your skin healthy. But if you have any nut allergies, don’t use it.
• Grapeseed oil: It is a good alternative to almond oil. It is non-greasy and contains Vitamin E, which keeps your skin healthy and provides nourishment.
• Soy oil: It hydrates your skin and also keeps it soft and glowing for a long time.

Oily skin

• Wheat Germ oil: Though heavy, it is usually mixed with lightweight oils. It contains vitamin E and is great for healing acne and blemishes.
• Apricot Kernel oil: It is extremely light and gets easily absorbed.
• Argan oil: Apply this oil on wet skin. It absorbs faster and keeps it fresh and healthy.

Article Source:  http://idiva.com/news-style-beauty/essential-oils-for-your-winter-skincare/26540

Skin Care Tips To Battle Winter Dryness

When it comes to the effects of dry winter air, it seems few of us are immune. Whether it impacts our hair or our skin or makes our throats scratchy, it seems we’re all in need of a little humidity as the cold rolls in.

Many people count on humidifiers to infuse a dry house with a welcome dose of moisture, but what if that’s not working for you, or if you’re dealing with dry air at the office? When it comes to skin in particular, many people turn to topical solutions.

“I’ve had extremely dry and cracked skin on my hands, and I started dealing with it a few years ago by using the generic form of Eucerin cream twice a day, after showering in the morning and before bed at night,” Bernie Fortune of Des Moines said. “I actually use it all year, but more frequently in the winter.”

Anne Berg of Van Meter has a similar solution. “I make sure I run two humidifiers in the house to keep the air comfortable when the furnace seems to run non-stop, but I also use Neutrogena sesame oil after showering,” Berg said. “During the day, I’ll use Clinique Deep Comfort Hand Cream when my hands start to dry out at work.”

Claire Celsi and Jill George, both of West Des Moines, bring out the big guns; George moisturizes her skin with a potion intended for another use, and Celsi chooses to get rid of dry skin altogether.

“Believe it or not, I actually use A and D ointment — made for diaper rash — when my skin gets really dry,” George said. “I put it on at night, and by morning, my skin feels so much better.”

Celsi said her “garden-variety” skin responds to Aveeno.

“I’ve found the most effective way to use it is to apply it all over, shower with a loofah, then reapply the lotion,” she said. “Aveeno causes skin to actually slough off if you leave it on for at least 15 minutes before your shower.”

According to the Department of Dermatology at the University of Iowa, topical moisturizers are indeed a good line of defense against winter dry skin. But doctors on the department’s website offer these tips as well to help keep you comfortable as temperatures drop.

Water alone, especially hot water, can actually worsen the problem of dry skinby removing the normal, protective skin oils, and hot, soapy water depletes the natural skin oils to the greatest degree. However, water followed by the application of oil such as a moisturizer — also known as an emollient or lubricant — benefits dry skin, as the oil in the moisturizer helps trap and seal water to make the skin softer, smoother and less likely to become dry, cracked and itchy. So don’t plan to bathe or shower in the winter without moisturizing liberally as well.

Speaking of baths and showers, they should be short— 10 minutes, tops, on winter dry skin — and water should be warm, not hot. Use minimal soap and opt for less-drying options, such as Dove, Neutrogena Dry Skin Formula, Aveeno Cleansing Bar for Dry Skin, Purpose, Basis, and Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Soap. Cetaphil, a liquid cleanser, works as a gentle and effective soap substitute for some people and is especially helpful for cleaning the face and hands.

After bathing or showering, quickly and gently pat the skin partially dry with a towel; don’t rub skin dry. Within three minutes of getting out of the water, apply a moisturizer. Bath oil, if selected as a moisturizer, can be directly rubbed into the skin after showering or bathing, but should not be added to bath water since it can make the tub dangerously slippery. Moisturizers should be reapplied liberally during the day and evening when possible, especially to those areas prone to dryness (hands, arms and legs).

Be careful about using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and itch-suppressing creams
or lotions to combat extreme winter dry skin. Many of these products contain chemicals that can irritate or cause allergic reactions. A good general rule: Anything you apply to your skin that causes more burning and itching than you started with probably isn’t a good idea. Consult your physician before continuing to use it.

Try to increase the humidity level
in your home. If possible, look into installing a humidifier to the central heating system of your house. If that’s not an option, invest in a quality portable humidifier, making sure to use it in your bedroom at night.

 Article Source:  http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20131230/LIFESTYLE/312300004/Skin-care-tips-battle-winter-dryness