Winter is well and truly upon us. This week we saw the first snowflakes of the winter fall from the sky in Berlin. The temperature in the air has changed to that slight chill and I can feel and see my skin starting to dry, especially as I turn the heater up that little bit more.

The same thing happens every winter; the air gets dryer and sucks the moisture from every facet of the skin. This happens because the outside air is cold and dry, while the inside heating is warm and unfortunately also dry. This dryness is caused by low humidity, which means the air lacks moisture. As an alternative, the air surrounding us will take moisture from our skin, depleting the skin and leaving it dry and damaged. You may notice this as your skin becomes cracked, scaly or flaky. As a result, this dryness irritates the skin and will make it itchy. This can not only be unsightly, but can also be painful and make the skin more prone to infections.

To help you cope and kept moisturized with glowing skin as we roll through colder months, I have complied the top things to do to prevent your skin for weathering this winter.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

The first thing you’ll need to do is swap from your normal moisturizer to something thicker that contains natural emollient (to soften and sooth skin) such as Shea butter, bees wax or coconut oil. Many over the counter moisturizers contain hidden chemicals that can be quite toxic to the body, so where possible choose organic based ingredients, as well as a product that aims to heal your skin simultaneously.
If you have sensitive skin, make sure to use products that contain no fragrance or lanolin derivatives. Check out Egyptian Magic, an all purpose cream containing only six ingredients: Olive oil, bees wax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and last but not least bee propolis. This makes the cream not only extremely moisturizing, but the royal jelly and propolis also work as a skin tonic and are incredibly rejuvenating. Alternately, you can use straight up oils, such as jojoba or rosehip and apply them directly onto your skin after bathing. This way the oils are better absorbed into the skin. Same goes for a lotion; apply directly to skin when wet, as this helps trap in surface moisture.

Shower in lukewarm water

Given, hot showers in winter feel like the best thing ever. They are not actually that good for your skin. The heat softens (or melts) your skin’s oil and decreases its amount. Without this oil you lose an important protective barrier, which makes for an easy escape of moisture from the skin. The longer and hotter the shower, the worse the effects on your skin, with dry and flaky skin as a result. A sure sign that your skin has started to dry, is when you hop out of the shower with reddened skin. This effect of hot showers only worsens during the winter. If you’re guilty of doing this (as many of us are), try using water that is a few degrees cooler.

Don’t over clean

Cleansers and soaps remove natural moisture and are terribly drying on the skin. I’m not telling you not to shower, but once a day is enough to for the face, feet, hands and between skin folds to be washed with soaps. Your limbs and torso on the other hand don’t necessarily need to be scrubbed daily with soaps.

Invest in a humidifier

When the air is dry it searchers for moisture anywhere, usually finding it and sucking it from your skin, which is the main reason for dry skin in winter. Using a humidifier in your room can save your skin from loss of moisture. Another (and more affordable) way to make sure the air in your room is not too dry, is placing a cup of water on top of each heater. As the heat emits from the heater, the first thing it finds is a body of water. In this way you get the moisture, before the lack of it gets you.

Nutritional support

Wintertime is the perfect time to give your skin some rest and rejuvenation, especially after a summer of constant sun exposure. Here are the key nutrients for the skin to consume over the winter:

Antioxidants will lessen damage all over the body, but are crucial for skin health. There are numerous benefits to eating antioxidant rich foods, such as berries, (especially blueberries), dark leafed vegetables and citrus fruits. You can even reap more benefits when applying antioxidants directly to your skin.

Vitamin A, C and E are one of the highest sources of antioxidants, and can help to moisturize the skin, repair damage and keep it from drying. More over, these key nutrients help to prevent wrinkles, sagging and will smooth out any roughness. You can find them in skin care products, or vitamin A and E as individual oils.

Vitamin D is also an important nutrient, supplied by the sun.  Our body is capable of storing some of the absorbed vitamin D, but the amount usually will lessen over the winter. Low vitamin D has shown to have links to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and depression, as well as a plethora of other health concerns and conditions.

This means that you will want to keep you vitamin D levels high. You can do this by getting 15 minutes of sun on you face daily, preferably at all times throughout the year. Through the diet vitamin D is highest in organic liver and fatty fish, but can also be found in portobello mushrooms, cheese and egg yolk.

As soon as you start noticing your skin taking a change for the worse, keep the tips described above in mind. You don’t have to live through the cold season with scaly and flaky skin. Nourish your body and nourish your skin during this time a bit extra, so when spring finally arrives you are able to walk out in confidence with as little work as possible.

For now, enjoy the season change, and remember: There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad equipment or preparation when it comes to your skin!