The Winter Skin Blues

It's not uncommon for skin to be dry and flaky and just generally sad at this point in the winter, so I wanted to share my regime to keep your skin radiant and happy from head to toe! I have combination skin (sometimes oily, sometimes dry) as well as psoriasis AND rosacea, so I have tried many, many different products. Over all, I like to keep my routine simple, natural, and clean; these are my tried and true faves! I use these same products and techniques on my children, so we don't have a ton of bottles getting jumbled up in the bathroom and I know exactly what is in each one.

For my face, I've been using the oil cleansing method at night. You can read more about it here, but basically you rub an organic oil blend onto your face (I like to massage it in for a good minute or two!) and then steam your face with a hot towel. I always follow up with a few splashes of cold water to seal the pores and my favorite Eminence eye serum.

In the morning I have been really loving my Konjac sponge! It is a really nice, simple way to keep exfoliated and bright. Then I just use a Eucerin mosturizer/sunscreen.

For the body, I can't recommend dry brushing enough.  Spend five to ten minutes before you hop in the shower, either using long gentle strokes or making small circles, always starting at your feet and working towards your heart. This is so lovely for increasing circulation, sloughing off any dead skin, and revealing the fresh, bright skin underneath. It feels fantastic and is truly a great way to start the day. For an extra tingle, you can lift each arm up and brush all the way down past your shoulder a few times. Don't forget the palms of your hands and soles or your feet!

I use Dr. Bronners Baby Mild soap (pretty well diluted) and nothing else on my body. I find most soaps to be so drying, but this has been treating me right for a few years now. I will sometimes use a scrubby if I feel like I have some deodorant buildup (I use Toms, which is also oil based).

After a shower, I slather on some organic coconut oil and call it a day!

Don't forget the most important thing -- eat your veggies and drink your water so you can shine from the inside out! :)

I'd love to hear what you are using to combat the winter skin blues!