By Courtenay Turner
It may be the season of icy winds and cold mornings, but keeping your skin hydrated, plump and radiant throughout winter isn’t as hard it you might think – it’s all about nourishing yourself from the inside, out!
Make winter skin a thing of the past with a little help from these skin-saving tricks and tips…
Don’t over exfoliate.
It’s possible to over-exfoliate, especially if you’re using harsh scrubs. While exfoliation can do a lot of good, too much scrubbing can actually damage the top layer of the skin and even lead to the development of broken blood vessels. Avoid irritation, redness and sensitivity by limiting exfoliation to once or twice a week. Gentle exfoliants like The Beauty Chef’s Probiotic Skin Refiner are kind to the skin and scientifically formulated to topically replenish, feed and fortify your skin’s microbiome – the bugs that live on your skin. This is important, as your skin’s microbiome is your immune system’s first line of defence.
Moisturise (your insides) liberally.
While chugging on bottles of water isn’t the first thing we think about during the chilly winter months, it’s important to maintain healthy hydration habits throughout the year. Adequate hydration helps to keep cells plump and healthy, which is essential for glowing skin. Sometimes though, dehydrated skin needs a little extra TLC, which means boosting cellular hydration from the inside out. HYDRATION Inner Beauty Boost (your inner beauty serum) contains electrolyte-rich coconut water which helps to rehydrate your cells by replacing minerals and fluids lost during daily activities. Add a delicious dash to your morning smoothie to support gut health and enhance skin radiance.
Use sleep to your advantage.
Calming bedtime rituals are an important step in our daily skincare routines. They help to ensure that we drift off into a peaceful slumber by preparing our bodies and minds for sleep. Every night, our Founder and Director, Carla Oates, sips on a mug of SLEEP Inner Beauty Powder in warm coconut milk. As the name suggests, SLEEP is scientifically formulated to soothe your nerves and deepen your sleep. When we sleep, the body fights inflammation and begins a process of cellular repair, which is key to maintaining healthy, radiant skin. They don’t call it beauty sleep for no reason! Ensure that you’re prioritising quality sleep – and enjoying plenty of it.
Keep up the SPF.
While it might not feel hot, sun protection should still play an important role in your winter skincare routine. Applying an effective, natural sunscreen is just a part of the picture – believe it or not, sun protection is also an inside job. Yep, that’s right! You can actually boost your SPF (sun protection factor) internally! Certain foods – let’s call them edible sunscreens – can help to protect your skin from UV radiation. Think green tea, nuts, olive oil, fruits, veggies and even dark chocolate.
Eat to nourish your skin.
As the weather cools, turn your attention to nutrient-dense foods that are high in essential fatty acids. The body can’t produce essential fatty acids – commonly referred to as omega-3 and omega-6 – so we need to obtain them through the foods we eat. Ideally, we should be consuming omega-6s and 3s at a ratio of 4:1. However, for the majority of people eating a modern western diet, this ratio looks more like 16:1. Ditch the refined oils and processed foods, and instead, focus on enjoying an abundance of anti-inflammatory omega-3s. These can be found in wholefoods like walnuts, atlantic salmon, atlantic mackerel, chia seeds, flaxseed and hemp seeds.
In addition to these delicious and beneficial fatty acids, your skin also requires a diet rich in gut-loving, fermented foods that nourish and support the bugs in your gut – as we know, skin and gut health are intimately connected. As Carla explains, “Studies show that people who have healthier gut microbiota, have a better fatty acid profile in their skin – meaning their skin is more hydrated, moisturised and plump”. For glowing skin all winter long, keep up your intake of fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and GLOW Inner Beauty Powder.
Keep up your antioxidant intake.
While antioxidant-rich summer fruits might not be on the menu, there are other ways to keep up your intake of skin-loving antioxidants. Alongside seasonal fruits, incorporate vitamin-rich vegetables like beetroot, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, sweet potato and red onion. If you’re after a little extra boost, The Beauty Chef’s ANTIOXIDANT Inner Beauty Boost is the perfect way to protect dull, stressed or sun damaged skin. It’s also a great way to support your immune system as, ANTIOXIDANT boasts better immune-boosting properties than a high-strength olive leaf extract – making it the perfect addition to your winter skincare routine.
How do you keep your skin hydrated, glowing and radiant during winter? We’d love to hear your tips, so leave a comment below.
