Photo via Sheknows.com

 It’s cold outside –a sign that there will be a windy winter weather yet again. Aside from worrying about what clothes to wear, many worry about their skin, hair and nails. Weather changes can make our skin dry and for those who haven’t decided which moisturizer is good for them, experimenting with moisturizer during wintertime can be quite a hassle.

Here are a few favorites for winter that you might find useful:

Bert’s Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Lotion

This can be found online or in your local department store. This is deemed as a 24 hour moisturizer that will of course last for a day. This is a good product if your skin losses moisture pretty easily.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil preferably virgin coconut oil applied on your skin is also a good idea. It is relatively cheap and apart from applying it on your skin, you should take at least 2 tablespoons of it a day so that you will have a glow from the inside. It also strengthens the immune system so basically, buying virgin coconut oil is a win-win.

Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil

Alright, this isn’t for your skin but your scalp and your hair need some attention during wintertime too.

Josie Maran Argan Oil

This is another favorite not only because it is light and does not make your skin, nails or hair look oily like virgin coconut oil. This can be used on all parts of the body and can function as a daily moisturizer too.

Nivea Cream

Everyone loves Nivea. If you are a fan of their thick cream and already have this at home, you can use it as a moisturizer during the winter. For those who have very dry skin, it would be best to apply three times or more daily to make sure that your skin does not flake. 

Getting your skin flight-ready is easy, but if you are wondering what you have to do to be ready for a flight –you definitely need to reeducate yourself when it comes to skin care while flying.

Whether you are going to an exotic destination or to a major city for business, flying is not a time for a bit of rest –at least for your skin, so make sure that you get your skin flight-ready. Flying, especially window seats put your skin closer to harmful rays of the sun.

Before boarding a plane, you should use a skin serum under your sunscreen to make sure that your skin is hydrated. Then apply sunscreen to protect the skin from the U.V. rays. Now why do you need to hydrate your skin while on a plane? Because being on a plane means you would have to expose your skin to dry air. Air is dry inside a plane so your skin need that extra moisture. Stay away from moisture sprays, though, because the moisture will only be absorbed by the air and not your skin – sticking to a skin serum is best.  You should also drink lots of water while on the plane to make sure that you are hydrated.

If you have to sit near a window, make sure that you shut the shade. This will lessen the UV rays that get inside the plane and lessen the UV rays on your skin too.

Once you have touched down, you have to wash your face and exfoliate. You would need to get rid of the dead skin cells caused by the flight. After washing your face, you should apply a hydrating mask to rehydrate your skin. 

Lay off the booze already, because it’s not cool. Aside from it not being cool, it will make your skin look horrible. Alcohol abuse can also lead to depression and eventually alcoholism.

How does alcohol make the skin look unhealthy? Whenever you drink alcohol, the blood vessels in the skin expand and result in a ruddy complexion. Continuing to drink will cause permanent redness in the skin. The redness usually appears on the face.

If you already suffer from rosacea or acne rosacea drinking alcohol will just exacerbate the condition. This will make your face redder and make the pores of your skin open leading to other types of skin damage.

Another bad thing about drinking too much alcohol is that it can cause blotchy bumps and premature wrinkles -the latter, something that many of us are afraid of. Premature wrinkles can also be caused by other things including not taking good care of your skin or not hydrating it. Alcohol, however, is one of the main reasons those who abuse alcohol have bad skin.

Alcohol dehydrates the skin by evaporating water inside the body. Too much drinking also causes loss of Vitamin A –an antioxidant that makes the skin healthy.

If you can’t help but drink alcohol from time to time, make sure that you only take a few sips and not down the whole bottle. Lessen the drinking in the name of beautiful skin.

You’ve heard it all –wash your face thoroughly, exfoliate, moisturize, and eat healthy but are these the only things you should do to care for your skin? 

Here are a few of the questions asked by many women (and men) around the world regarding their skin.

Do I need eye cream?

Not really. This is something that might outrage many aestheticians but toners will only make your skin dry. In fact, even if you have super oily skin, it will manage to make your skin very dry and dry skin is not good at all.

How about sunscreen?

Dermatologists say that this should be the most important part of your skin care regimen because the sun’s rays can damage your skin and make aging faster.

Should I purchase exfoliants?

There are some very nice exfoliants out there but getting yourself a sea salt scrub is just as good. This will even out your skin tone and make your skin look better. It is advised that you moisturize after doing the scrub so that the skin gets hydrated. 

Is bathing in hot water good for the skin?

No it is not. Lukewarm water is good during the winter so you do not freeze but hot water will damage your skin and make it dry.

What’s the best night-time cream I can use?

The ultra-rich cream formula from Olay called Olay Regenerist is a good product. This works well in moisturizing the skin and diminishing wrinkles or fine lines. It won the Readers’ Choice Award in Allure Magazine in 2010.

Many people are cursed with over productive  sebaceous glands and are annoyed by it. Thegood news is, those with oily skin do not develop wrinkles as fast as thosewith dry skin. However, if your skin is too oily for comfort you should followthese simple rules:

Wash your Face

Washing your face three times daily is suggested for those withvery oily skin. Never use steaming hot water while washing because this onlydamages your skin and strip it off its much needed moisture. You should uselukewarm water.

Cleansers

Do not use skin cleansers that will make your skin very drybecause it only makes your skin produce more oil to keep it moisturized.

Moisturizers

If the usual cream moisturizer just makes your face look andfeel oily, you should get a water-based moisturizer. Water-based moisturizersare more advisable for people with very oily skin because they do notexacerbate the production of oil on the surface of your skin.

Retinoids

If you think you cannot fix your oily skin with the oneslisted above, you should talk to your dermatologist and ask for retinoids. Thisdrug reduces the production of oil in your skin. They are not sold over thecounter so it is best to consult your dermatologist first.

To keep your skin healthy, you should nourish it from withinand this means you should eat healthy. Aside from avoiding oily food anddrinking lots of water, what else should you do? Here are a few tips on how toeat the right food for your skin:

Sweet Potatoes

If you love sweet potatoes, you should be happy because thisroot crop has a lot of Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is your ticket togetting rid of those wrinkles. Studies show that sweet potatoes are loaded withHyaluronic Acid.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs are fatty acids that ourbodies cannot produce. There are 2 types of essential fatty acids: Omega 6 andOmega 3. The latter is the one that should be included in your diet becausethis is what your skin needs. But where do you get Omega 3? You can get Omega 3from a wide range of products such as sardines, salmon, tuna, nuts, flaxseeds,prawns, and soya beans.

Going Nuts on Nuts

Eating lots of nuts means you are loading your body with antioxidantsand this is good not only for your overall health but for your skin as well.  Eat brazil nuts, chestnuts, and hazelnuts –thesenuts are full of antioxidants and can help in the prevention of degenerativedisease and will also keep your skin look clear and beautiful. The mostimportant antioxidant that nuts have is Vitamin E. This vitamin is a powerfulnutrient that fights against free radicals.

Drink Your Milk

Remember what your mother used to say? Whole milk and butterare good for you. They may be fattening but these products will keep your skinclear and healthy. Whole milk and whole butter has a lot of vitamin A and thisvitamin is a very good way to keep your skin looking young and supple. You canalso get vitamin A from liver, oily fish, dark orange and dark green vegetablessuch as carrots and broccoli.

Vitamin C

Having a dose of vitamin C a day is essential but it isbetter if you get this from what you eat. Eating lots of citrus fruits such aslemons, oranges and grapefruits is a good start. Tomatoes and potatoes alsohave vitamin C so do not feel guilty if you eat hearty meals with these in theingredients. Papaya, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, black currants, kiwi, peas,cauliflower and strawberries are also great sources of vitamin C.