How many of you have a strong self-care routine? Self-care is exactly what it sounds like–taking care of yourself. There are different aspects of self-care–mind, body, health–but the area we’re focusing on today is the body. Everything from your hair, skin, and nails can be prone to dryness during the wintertime. Instead of letting elasticity be a thing of the past, step up your self-care game to stay firm and hydrated. Keep reading below to find out the 3 self-care tips you should focus on to stay moisturized and protected all season.
Self-Care Tip #1: Protect your skin by adjusting your daily skincare routine to fit the changing temperatures.
Even us oily skin girls have to deal with dry patches in the wintertime. As inconvenient as I find oily skin to be, nothing compares to the discomfort of a face feeling like it’s lacking in moisture. To compensate for the increased dryness, I make sure to have masks and primers in my skincare and beauty routine.
Hydrogel Mask
Instead of (or in addition to) using your go-to mask formulas, try adding in a hydrogel mask to your routine in the winter time. Boscia hydrogel masks are a great option for masks with moisture. They do have a bit of a learning curve because as the name suggests, the masks are jelly-like with a bit of slip to them. Once they’re on your skin, the moisture of the gel leaves your face feeling hydrated.
I still love a good classic mask that has the typical tight feeling like GlamGlow’s SuperMud Clearing Treatment, but I like to add a hydrogel mask into my winter routine for mild skin cleansing days.
Primer
After applying your daily moisturizer, the next critical step in your makeup routine is a primer. Makeup application is heavier in the winter because it’s more comfortable to wear when you aren’t faced with the blistering heat and humidity Summer provides. I was never a big primer user when I strictly wore powder foundation, but now I can’t imagine life without it.
A good primer will blur imperfections and create a barrier between your makeup and your skin, helping to keep pores clear. I like to test a new primer when it’s time to restock, and this season I’m trying out Viper Venom Micro-Blur Fix, courtesy of Nip+Fab. Their primer is meant to act as an instant selfie perfector by blurring the appearance of pores and smoothing the skin’s surface to a matte finish.
Self-Care Tip #2: Increase the amount of moisture in your hair by regularly nurturing it with hydrating products.
Hair is susceptible to breakage in the winter because just like your skin, your hair can feel abnormally dry. For us curly-haired girls, we are very well-versed in the dry arena because our hair is naturally prone to dryness. When winter rolls around, make sure you’re treating your hair with extra TLC. You can accomplish this by using conditioners, masks, and oils targeting strength and moisture.
Conditioner
A good conditioner will prep your hair so it’s strong enough to withstand nature’s elements. I tend to use Shea Moisture’s Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Conditioner as a co-wash product and as a prep step when I’m about to apply a hair mask. Doing this added step gives my hair a head start in the moisture department before the true treatment begins.
As my go-to conditioner for regular wash-and-go days, I like to use OGX conditioners. This season they’re focusing on strength, so I’m trying out their Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil Conditioner.
Hair Mask
A hair mask is something to include in your hair routine year-round, but it’s particularly necessary in the winter. I’m a huge fan of Shea Moisture masks and recommend them to people with any hair type.
The one I’ve repurchased for the winter season is Shea Moisture’s Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque. It smells heavenly, instantly makes my hair feel soft to the tough, and it doesn’t weight my hair down when I straighten it afterward.
Oil
Oil is the key to keeping your hair full of like in the long run. Each type of oil provides a unique set of benefits and gets absorbed into your hair differently. Don’t be afraid to explore a few options before settling into a comfortable selection.
With my natural curls, I use coconut and olive oils because my hair can take the weight of those oils without losing volume and body. With my straight hair, I opt for lighter oils. OGX recently sent their Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil to me, so that is my current oil of choice.
Self-Care Tip #3: It’s training season! Sculpt your body to its maximum potential during the winter so you’re ahead of the game in the spring.
Listen, winter may be hibernation mode for some, but it should be training season for all. Would you rather indulge during the holidays and work twice as hard in the spring or have everything in tip-top shape when Spring hits? As part of the glo up prep, use scrubs and firming lotions to ensure your body is at its best.
Body Scrub
Use a body scrub in the shower to exfoliate your skin and get rid of any dead skin cells. I’ve used Dead Sea Essentials in the past, but you can also DIY an exfoliator by adding brown sugar to your favorite body wash.
Firming + Moisturizing Lotions
While there isn’t a magical cure to instantly tighten up your skin and/or minimize the appearance of cellulite (we’re keeping it real here, guys), there are products you can use in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise routine to do just that. For a firmer and more hydrated body, I’m currently using four different products: Two I just recently received courtesy of Nip+Fab, one I’ve used all season from Nivea, and another I’ve used for the past few months from Loccitane.
The Nivea Firming Lotion is what I use as my everyday body lotion. Two Nip+Fab products I’ve started using this week as targeted treatments are the Nip+Fab Bust Fix and the Cellulite Fix.
The Nip+Fab Bust Fix is a lotion for your decolletage area. As the name suggests, it’s meant to firm the skin in this area and should be applied twice daily in circular motions for best results. Nip+Fab’s Cellulite Fix is a gel for problem areas. As mentioned earlier, keep in mind that there isn’t a miracle in a bottle for completely erasing cellulite. In fact, cellulite is actually normal but I’d like to minimize the appearance of it purely due to personal preference. As a start, I’ve included Nip+Fab’s Cellulite Fix to my winter routine and apply it in an upwards motion to areas prone to get cellulite.
Last but not least is Loccitane. Your hands are prone to dryness during the winter because of the constant exposure to the outside temperatures. They’re also one of the areas that are quick to show your age. To keep hands hydrated and moisturized, I like to use Loccitane’s Hand Cream. Look for a thick and portable hand cream to keep in your bag throughout the season to avoid dry hands while you’re out shopping. Loccitane’s Hand Cream will even make a great stocking stuffer gift, but I’ll talk more about that soon.
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