13 Natural Remedies for Dry Skin During the Fall and Winter

​As the cooler weather enters our lives, the cold outdoors, low humidity and heated interiors  make it difficult to keep your skin hydrated leaving us prone to dry itchy skin. Therefore, it is essential to take extra care to keep your skin moisturized, so you can avoid chapping, itchiness, and cracking. 

Other causes of dry skin include:

• Overuse of harsh soap and hot water.
• Exposure to chemicals, including the ones in your skin care products (if you are not using natural skin care products)
• Low humidity
• Not enough protective oils on your skin

The following practices help soothe and hydrate your skin

1. Shower with warm water. Super-hot water dries out your skin. Instead, use lukewarm water, and make sure your soap is all natural and the gentlest one you can find.

2. ​Use oil-based cleansers to wash your face. Cleansing oils are more hydrating and soothing than face washes because they don’t contain many surfactants. And they may be more effective and less irritating than some traditional cleansers. Oil sticks to oil, which means that these products can effectively remove dirt from and leave the skin clean. Note 

that I’m talking about oil based cleansers not just plain oil from your kitchen.

3. ​Exfoliate. Use salt or sugar scrubs to exfoliate – they remove dead skin cells and generate new skin that more easily will be able to absorb moisturizers.

4. Moisturize while you are damp.  Apply your moisturizer when just come out of the shower or bath – lotions, creams, and butters are designed to lock in moisture, and they work better when your skin is moist.

5. Use goat milk compresses. If you’re feeling itchy, dip a washcloth in goat milk and apply it to your skin for five minutes. Goat’s milk contains vitamins and minerals like selenium vitamin A, the most essential vitamin for the skin. Goat’s milk also contains lactic acid, which assists to gently slough off dead skin cells and helps to hydrate and brighten the skin. It is also anti-inflammatory and can stop itching.​​

6. Soak in a Milk and Honey bath. Add two cups of milk and a quarter cup of honey to a not-so-hot bath and soak.

7. Apply honey and olive oil. Both honey and olive oil have amazing properties that make it a great option to soothe dried skin. Mix a spoonful of honey with a spoonful of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Apply this oil to dry areas and let sit for 20 minutes. Wipe off with a warm washcloth.

8. Apply oil to your skin after a long bath. When the skin is super dry. At night, take a long, heated bath before bed; long enough that your toes and fingers begin to wrinkle. Pat yourself dry and immediately cover yourself in a rich oil such as olive, coconut, jojoba, avocado or argan oil. Spread it all over and go to bed.

9. Take an oatmeal bath. Oatmeal is useful for moisturizing, cleansing, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory. To make an oatmeal bath: add one cup of dry oatmeal in a food processor or blender until you have a fine powder. Spread the mixture into a tub with running water, swirling with your hand a few times for even distribution. Soak in the bath for 15 to 20 minutes.

10. Use an avocado mask. Puree half an avocado and mix it with a teaspoon of olive oil; as an option, you can add a tablespoon of honey for dehydrated (dry) skin. Apply the mask to your face, leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash it off.

11. Apply Aloe vera to dry, irritated skin. Aloe gel can be helpful during the dry winter months. It works by alleviating redness and irritation related to excess dryness, and it can even decrease signs of aging, as well as acne breakouts.

12. Use a Fruit Enzyme Cleanser or Exfoliant. Fruit enzymes are great for gently exfoliating the superficial layer of dulling dead skin cells on the face and body. Using a fruit enzyme-infused wash or mask twice per week. Fruit enzymes to look for include pineapple, pumpkin, and papaya.

13. Use lotions, creams or butters daily. Quality all-natural moisturizers can help soothe and repair dry, itchy, and irritated skin. They can also renew the surface of your skin and revitalize your complexion.

​To make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients mentioned above, perform a patch test first before applying any of these suggestions on a large area of skin.

And remember always to use natural skin care products. Over-the-counter products have a lot of ingredients in them including preservatives, alcohol, and fragrances, that are not only toxic 

for you, they can also cause irritation, an allergic reaction or dry out your skin. More importantly, many of the chemicals found in non-natural personal care items such as shampoos, lotions, cleansers, makeup, antiperspirants, and perfumes have linked to the increase in the last few decades of asthma, allergies, autoimmune disorders, and chronic illness.

​On the other hand, natural creams, lotions, and butter are pure, which makes them a better choice for many people. Always, check the labels before buying skin care products, nowadays there are a lot of so-called “natural” skin care products, but once you read the labels, they also have chemicals and artificial fragrances. As a general rule, if you cannot pronounce or eat an ingredient in your skin care product, you should not be putting it on your skin! Also, if the label uses the word fragrance – IT IS NOT NATURAL. Natural products use essential oils for scent, and these oils are not classified a fragrance.

Until next week,
​Toni