Let’s just cut to the chase shall we? There is nothing worse than dry skin in the winter, it creaks and pulls and hurts and there seems to be nothing to do but wait for the warmer months to bring on a little bit of moisture, right? The worst part is that I am not usually a dry skin kinda gal. I usually come out of winter unscathed by dry elbows and chalky legs (I know, sounds totally gross)

The week before last my skin took a turn for the worst and I am not talking about hands or legs or elbows…I am talking about my FACE guys. My face. My skin is usually hassle free, but all of a sudden the skin on my face was dry and sore, particularly around my eyes. My eyelids were puffy and the rims of my eyes stung. I know this is not your usual dry skin situation but I just thought I would fill you in anyway. I am pretty certain that it was a combination of my recent change to a plant based diet and an allergy to something but that didn't’t change the fact that I had sore skin that was flaking big time. If you are a bit hippy dippy like me this post will be right up your alley!

Water Me

The first step (after freaking out to everyone that would listen) was to immediately start drinking more water. In winter I find it really difficult to keep my water intake up, I usually start drinking more hot drinks and my water bottle sits on my desk, full. I know this sounds really dumb, but I didn’t realise what a direct impact drinking water had on my skin until my skin was totally parched. I start each day with about a litre of water and then keep drinking 500mls at a time throughout the day. Instead of sipping on water I drink a big glass at a time – almost like a chore. I also make sure I have a big glass of water before I bath/shower and then another litre in the hour before bed. I know you can OVER drink water but in this case I just wanted my skin to get all the hydration it could.

Baby Shampoo

I then totally stopped wearing make up and stopped using anything other than baby shampoo to wash my face. Every time I would wear make up it would end up flaking off in some spots and then the process of removing make up was just so exceptionally painful it just wasn't worth it. I use baby shampoo to wash my eyes anyway because it is the only thing that is safe for my lash extensions, and because it is gentle it is perfect to use on sensitive skin. Try this one from woolies.

No Scrubs

The next thing I learnt the hard way was – nothing abrasive on the dry skin! Whenever I have had a bit of bad skin I have done a bicarb scrub or an apricot exfoliation and BINGO! All fixed! Do not scrub your bare skin with anything abrasive guys, just don’t. You might think you are getting rid of all that flaky stuff but in actual fact you are just agitating your poor ol’ skin.

Coconut Oil Magic

When I say I drenched myself in coconut oil for 3 days, please know I am 100% serious. For 3 days, morning and night, I covered my face in organic coconut oil. I would sometimes even reapply it in the afternoon but definitely after every face wash…I take a blob of hard coconut oil and rub it between my palms until it melted and then cover my face, focusing on the areas that are the most thirsty.

Ultrabalm

If you haven’t heard of Ultrabalm then you can thank me later. It is a miracle magic balm from Lush that saves dry skin on any part of your body! I discovered this when I was searching high and low for the ultimate lip balm to beat wintery chapped lips. Not only is it great in chapped lips but I have been using it as a “night cream” just before bed for my dry skin and it has worked wonders.

Good Natural Fats

The final step I took to remedy my skin was to incorporate more natural fats and oils into my daily diet. Since experimenting with a plant based diet I have found it a little more tricky to get all the right fats in but I have started incorporating more of these delicious baby avocados and a handful or two of cashew nuts. Not only are they delicious and good for you, but they also keep you fuller for longer.

I hope you this helps those of you that suffer with dry winter skin, this has all been trial and error for me but it doesn't’t have to be for you! I will be following this up with my Winter skin care routine so I can keep you posted on my skin progress and maybe give you a few tips on how to take better care of yourself this winter.

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Love, 
Duffymoon