6 Steps to Beat Winter Skin

Living in Wisconsin, we have to deal with winter skin every year. Dry, chapped, itchy, splitting, dull. It’s no fun and it is definitely not pretty.

But there is plenty that you can do to help improve the appearance and tone of your skin, and boost it’s healing potential, and beat winter skin in Wisconsin.

1) Red Light Therapy– In the summer months, assuming you are outside and getting the benefits of sunshine on your skin daily, we are bathed in the full spectrum of the sun’s light. Included in this is Red light. Red light has many positive health benefits overall, but especially for the skin. Red light therapy can help boost collagen production, improve circulation, reduce the appearance of scars, facilitate wound healing, improve the elasticity, and reduce inflammation. Many who use the red lights on a regular basis notice an overall improvement in skin’s appearance. During the winter months, when we aren’t getting much sun exposure or we are covered from head to toe if we do, we do not get the benefits of red light on our skin. Our skin is filled with photoreceptors that respond to various wavelengths of light. It is critical to balance out the red light we are missing to help our skin during the winter months. A 10-15 minute session 2-3 times a week can have many benefits.

2) Dry Body Brush– This beauty ritual has been around for centuries, and is actually a staple of many cultures because of its overall health benefits. But if you have never used dry body brushing as part of your beauty routine, you are missing out. Using a stiff bristled brush and brushing in circular motions all over the body can be very beneficial to the skin. It helps to remove dry flaky skin and dead skin cells. It improves circulation and lymph drainage and helps to reduce the appearance of cellulite. The process can brighten and tighten your skin, and make the products and treatments you are using even more effective. Doing this before a hot shower or sauna sesh can give your skin a super boost. This is definitely something you want to add to your winter ritual.

3) Infrared Sauna Therapy-- Saunas have been a staple in Scandinavian countries for centuries. Besides being a life saver in the long, cold, winter months, they also have a ton of skin and health benefits. Infrared saunas help improve circulation, which gets the blood flowing, improves lymph drainage and eliminates toxins. Our skin is our largest elimination organ, and it is vital for us to periodically remove toxins for an overall healthy glow. Due to decreased activity, less fresh air and sunshine, and a heavier diet, winter often leads to more stress on our skin. Using an infrared sauna on a regular basis can help us sweat out the bad stuff, and clarify our skin and pores. Infrared saunas can also recreate the structure of water in our bodies. Think of normal water as H2O, which is a liquid, but the way our body uses water is more in a gel form, or H3O2 structure. This form of water is super-hydrating, more alkaline, and gives skin a plumper appearance. Through detoxification and hydration, saunas are vital to helping heal and improve winter skin.

4) Jade Roller/Gua Sha– Both of these treatments have been a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. While they have many other health benefits as well, their use in daily skin routines has become more mainstream in recent years. These tools are known for gently massaging the face, neck and head area to relieve tension, improve circulation, and increase lymph drainage. They can help tighten skin, improve tone, reduce puffiness, and give an overall smoother appearance. They are also great for improving sinus drainage and reducing sinus pain. The cooling surface of the jade stones and rose quartz can help reduce redness, age spots, and uneven skin tone. Most notice firmer skin, renewed appearance and an overall glow with regular use. Chilling your tools in the fridge before use adds even more of a cooling effect. Using these tools first to get blood flow moving and pores open, and then applying facial products will help for better absorption. The gua sha tool could also be used while in the infrared sauna to assist in eliminating toxins.

5) Five Flower Hydrating Facial Mist–Wisconsin winters do a number on our delicate facial skin. From cold blustery winds, to dry heat, to chapped and flaky lips and cheeks, it’s tough to stay hydrated. We have formulated the Five Flower Hydrating Facial Mist to help protect, moisturize and rejuvenate. This bland is made with 5 floral essential oils known for their skin healing and balancing properties: Rose, Geranium, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Neroli. Together all these oils combine to cover all the basics in winter skin protection and give an overall improved appearance of the skin. Use daily as a hydrating facial mist after cleansing. Also works well in conjunction with infrared sauna sessions and red light therapy sessions. Read more details about the benefits of the oils here.

6) Glyconutrients for super-hydration– One of the biggest culprits of sad looking winter skin comes down to hydration. From dry heat inside, cold winds outside, and poorer diet choices all around, it is easy for us to get dehydrated. Dehydrated skin can have a dull appearance, and it also makes it harder for our body to eliminate toxins, which can lead to dry skin, itchiness, premature aging, decreased cellular turnover, and more. Dehydrated skin is also more prone to being red, sensitive, and slower at healing. Being hydrated can replenish and plump skin, boost circulation, and help eliminate toxins. The glyconutrients we use in the office are an aloe based product that works with water to form a 4th phase or gel water structure, which is even more hydrating to the body than regular H2O. This is critical for holding more water in the body and giving skin a plumper and more youthful appearance. It also helps the body function better, including digestion, liver, and other eliminatory and detoxifying organs. This helps reduce the amount of toxins in our system, which gives our skin a glowing appearance. It’s hard to look healthy on the outside when we are dehydrated and toxic on the inside. Adding Ambrotose SlimSticks after a sauna session is the perfect way to replenish our body and rejuvenate our skin.