Is your skin so dry this winter that it itches, flakes, or just hurts? You can lessen the desiccating effects of winter, but you probably still need to find a natural moisturizer to keep your dry skin soft and healthy.
My skin is so dry this winter that I feel like a fish stretched out to freeze dry in the wind. No amount of my regular lotion is helping. The backs of my hands feel sandpapery. Every winter my husband’s hands get so dry that the skin hardens and splits, leaving him with bleeding sores. We live in the high, snowy desert, so it happens every year, but this is a particularly dry and drying year. Age does make dry skin worse for a lot of people, so maybe this is finally age catching up with me.
So, I’ve been looking for the best, fastest, most natural solution to my dry skin.
Even if your weather isn’t harsh, you may be feeling that combination of winter drying with pregnancy tightness, leaving you scratching until it hurts, then waking up at night to scratch some more.
Just change your winter routine a little and look for a natural moisturizer that won’t cause more damage than the wind alone.
Why Winter Is Tough on Your Skin
In the winter, both temperature and humidity fall. Central heating or a wood-burning fireplace can lower the humidity even more. A long, hot shower feels good in the moment, but it ultimately makes the dry, tight feeling of your skin even worse, especially if you use a harsh soap that strips your skin of moisture then rub yourself hard with a towel when you are done. Stop all of this, and you may notice less dryness in your skin.
Inside the house, you could use a humidifier to keep humidity at about 50%. When you go outside, you could cover up your face and hands to protect them from moisture sucking wind.
You will probably still need to supplement these winter adjustments with moisturizing cosmetics. That brings up the big issue of finding natural cosmetics that don’t do more harm than good.
Natural Cosmetics for Dry Skin
There are several things you want cosmetics to do for your dry skin:
- Replace moisture
- Nourish skin
- Create a barrier between skin and drying elements
As I wrote last week about natural deodorants, there are some ingredients to avoid in general. Among common toxic ingredients used in cosmetics, these include parabens, fragrance, and petrolatum.
Look for natural products with shea butter, avocado oil, sunflower oil, and other plant-derived ingredients. We have collected a few natural cosmetic products for adults, and we want to tell you about one of our favorites.
Cocoon Apothecary
We choose all of our products carefully, and we let you know with our Safe Family Promise icons who stands out in the crowd. Cocoon Apothecary stand out as non-toxic and sustainable products handmade by an ethical company. And, they are Made in Canada.
We love that they are signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics by the Environmental Working Group. We mention the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Database often. All of the Cocoon Apothecary products listed below get a toxicity rating of 0 in the database. They actively avoid toxic ingredients, and the ingredients they do use are high quality, almost all organic.
We love that ingredients for each formula are very carefully chosen for their nourishing qualities.
If your skin is especially dry this winter, your best choice for healthy skin is Rosey Cheeks Facial Cream as a moisturizer and Rosehip Oil Facial Scrum to rejuvenate. If your skin is a little oily, but you still want to try Cocoon Apothecary, use Orange Blossom Facial Cream as a moisturizer and Argan Oil Facial Scrum to rejuvenate.
For Driest Skin (Winter)
Rosey Cheeks Facial Cream
- Rosehip Oil Contains trans-retinoic acid (extremely rejuvenating retinoid),vitamin E, and essential fatty acids.
- Shea Butter Contains vitamin A, vitamin E, allantoin, phytosterols, oleic acid and antioxidants.
- Rose Absolute Soothing, cooling and full of antioxidants.
- Avocado Oil Contains phytosterols, vitamins and minerals.
- Camellia (Green Tea) Oil Light emollient with polyphenol antioxidants.
- Rosehip Oil Contains trans-retinoic acid (extremely rejuvenating retinoid),vitamin E, and essential fatty acids.
For Less Dry Skin (Summer)
Orange Blossom Facial Cream
- Argan Oil A dry oil that has high levels of vitamin E.
- Sunflower Oil Contains high levels of oleic acid (omega 9), vitamin E and minerals.
- Neroli Essential Oil Regulates oiliness and minimizes pores.
Argan Oil Facial Scrum
- Argan Oil A dry oil that has high levels of vitamin E.
Image © Jura Vikulin | Dreamstime.com
