Nourishing Winter Skincare
Colder temperatures and low humidity levels can lead to a never-ending battle against dry winter skin, but that doesn’t have to ruin the season and stop you from enjoying the great outdoors. Dry skin is a harmless condition, but the accompanying itchiness, redness, and unpleasing appearance of rough, dry skin can be intensely aggravating. The skin gets drier in winter for a simple reason: as the temperature drops, the air holds in less moisture, drawing that moisture out of our skin. Even those with “normal” skin can experience dryness and itching, while people with skin conditions often see their problems exacerbated. The good thing is that prevention and treatment are simple and inexpensive. Keeping your skin healthy is vital, the better the skin barrier is, the more moisture it retains, preventing dry skin. Our skin serves as the first line of defence against outside invaders, so it’s important to keep this skin barrier in good condition to avoid problematic soreness and infections. Consider the following simple habits you can add to your daily skin routine that can help protect and nourish your skin:
• A hot shower or bath at the end of a cold winter’s day may be very tempting and inviting but, to keep your skin nourished, you may want to keep the water temperature closer to lukewarm. Take shorter, lukewarm showers to avoid stripping your skin of vital oils and causing further dryness.
• Use mild, low fragrance cleansers and nourishing shea butter and Aleppo soaps. These kinds of soaps tend to be less irritating on dry skin. It’s also best to use daily cleansers only on parts of the body that need them, and avoid areas that are prone to dryness and itching. See below for more details on Aleppo soap, we stock a range of these beautifully rich and nourishing soaps.
• Apply moisturisers immediately after cleansing. It’s ideal to pat dry rather than rub with a towel to help retain moisture in the skin. Promptly moisturise while your skin is still damp, then apply moisturising cream or balms more than once a day to help retain and repair your dry skin. See below for our choice Beeswax Body Balm, a rich soothing balm to nourish winter skin.
• Change the environment in your home. Low humidity and high artificial heat usage in your home dries out the air. Instead, use a humidifier, which can return moisture to the air and prevent moisture withdrawal from your skin.
• Apply sunscreen daily, given the shorter winter days and less sunlight, it can be tempting to cut sunscreen out of your morning routine but even in winter, harmful UV light can still stress your skin’s moisture barrier, which is vital for maintaining skin health and hydration.
• Use overnight treatments, these are an excellent way to revitalize or prevent dry skin. Emollients are great for moisturizing. By applying an emollient to your skin overnight, your skin will have the time it needs to absorb the treatment and for the emollient to replenish your skin with the moisture and oils it needs.
• Adjust your skin care routine, if the skin on your face seems to be especially sensitive or irritated due to the dry winter air, you may want to consider simplifying your skin care routine temporarily. Also, if your skin is irritated, it might be more sensitive to ingredients like fragrance and alcohol. Consider using just a moisturiser and sunscreen in the morning, and a gentle cleanser with a moisturizer at night.
• Try adding certain types of skincare ingredients to your routine, examples include; shea butter,
cocoa butter, rosehip oil, jojoba oil, beeswax and argon oil. These are moisturising agents that work by forming a protective layer on the surface of your skin and create a barrier to prevent moisture loss. They work by mimicking the skin's natural lipid barrier, they also have protective properties.
• Hydrate from the inside, another key step to keeping your skin healthy and glowing is to make sure you’re staying well hydrated throughout the day. In addition to staying well hydrated, you may also want to focus on eating foods that are high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Both of these nutrients can protect your cells from environmental damage and help your body make healthy cells, including skin cells.
• Protect your hands, wear gloves to protect your exposed hands and avoid harsh fabrics on your skin. If the skin on your body is extra dry, try wearing loose, comfortable, natural fabrics to reduce the risk of extra physical irritation. Chose a hand cream that has Shea Butter included which will give your hands an extra barrier to the elements, see below for Naturally European hand cream with enriching milk added.
The Candle Tree has lots more skincare products online and in store at our Gloucester based shop.
Traditional Aleppo Soap
During the winter, the delicate balance of your skin can easily be disrupted by harsh weather, central heating and the contrasts of hot and cold environments. You may find that you need a more gentle and moisturising cleansing soap bar. At The Candle in Gloucester we have a huge range of natural soaps to suit all skin types and we would chose Aleppo soap as the perfect winter soap. This naturally made soap from Syria is a kind and extremely gentle soap, recommended by dermatologists worldwide. Aleppo soap is 100% natural and composed exclusively of olive oil, laurel berry oils, soda and water, according to the traditional recipe, to gently soothe your skin. Aleppo soap is a rich fatty soap for hydrating and softening dry, vulnerable and sensitive skin. Its pure and vegetable formula is pH neutral. Being rich in olive oil and laurel oil, it cleans, nourishes and softens the skin without being harsh. It is very effective against skin problems: psoriasis, allergies, acne, eczema, dandruff. Aleppo soap, as well as being very soothing, is recognised for its purifying benefits for the skin. This soap is suitable for all types of skin, even the most sensitive and fragile, and is suitable for the face, body or hands. This family soap is so mild you can use it to wash your face, body and even your hair. It lathers very well and can also be used as shaving foam. Extra soft Aleppo soap is ideal for all skin types, from normal to the most sensitive and problematic. It not only cleans, it nourishes, softens and protects skin too, try it out, and your skin will heal faster, and feel soft and luxurious in no time!
Naturally European Milk Hand Cream
Naturally European Hand Cream is one of the best hand creams around for soothing dry hands. With 20% shea butter, Naturally European Luxury Hand Cream provides outstanding skin care. It moisturises, hydrates, supports the skin barrier and helps to lock in moisture. Using a moisturising hand cream not only keeps our skin soft and smooth but also helps keep them looking younger for longer. It’s important to put that moisture back and protect the skin on your hands as they are subjected to hand washing and hand sanitisers. By using a hand cream straight after you’ve washed your hands, it helps to lock in the moisture that can be removed from the water and drying your hands. These Naturally European hand creams have been developed using a range of ingredients, that are as natural as possible, to nourish and deeply moisturise. Shea Butter features in all of them, rich Shea Butter is the best moisturising and protecting ingredient for the hands, it is a skin superfood that comes from the seeds of the fruit of the Karite tree. Shea helps in the skin’s natural collagen production and contains stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids that help in protecting and nourishing the skin which helps prevent drying and chapping. The natural vitamins and fatty acids found in shea make it extremely nourishing and moisturising for skin. The hand cream we featured here is ‘Milk’ which is extra calming and soothing. Naturally European hand creams are available in a fragrant variety to suit your preferences; Rose Petal, Lavender, Plum Violet, Freesia & Pear, Ginger & Lime, Verbena and lastly, Milk.
Nature’s Beeswax Cornwall Body Lotion Bar
Featured here is Nature’s Beeswax Cornwall Nourishing body lotion in a solid bar in a tin. This beautiful hand made balm is made with a variety of moisturising and nourishing oils; coconut oil, rice bran oil and avocado oil blended with natural beeswax. The essential oil mix of Lavender and Chamomile soothes irritated and dry skin that needs a little tender care. Simply rub the bar in your hands and onto your body, massage the oils into your skin, your body heat with gently allow the oils to melt and soak into your skin. Nature’s Beeswax Cornwall produces special beeswax skincare products and candles, they are based in beautiful Mevagissey in Cornwall and are developed by a Complementary Therapist with a deep interest in ecology, sustainability and the local and wider environment. Nature’s Beeswax Cornwall uses wax produced by local bees, this beautiful non-toxic natural product promotes personal health and natural wellbeing. These products are made with the finest natural non-processed ingredients. Nature’s Beeswax Cornwall support local beekeepers to maintain hives to increase pollination and improve the ecology of the local environment. Beeswax production does not have any harmful effect on our environment nor does it use up valuable natural resources. All of their products are environmentally aware and are not packaged in plastic and there is no need to chemically treat beeswax to convert them into candles. The source of this beeswax is 100% pure and natural as it is extracted from honeycombs. This is a completely natural product, no parabens, sls or petroleum derived ingredients. We thoroughly recommend that you treat winter parched skin to this beautifully rich and nourishing beeswax lotion bar.