Winter weather conditions can be very tough on the skin, especially on the face, lips, and hands. Long stretches of repeated exposure to cold temperatures and low humidity, followed by constant exposure to indoor heat combine to suck the moisture out of our skin –leaving it reddish, dull and extremely dry. This holiday season, give the gift of all-natural, plant-based skin care and help your loved ones maintain a healthy glow from the inside out all winter long. Follow these tips to pick the best products you can:
When gifting skin-care products this winter, avoid conventional soaps and body washes whose detergents and synthetic ingredients strip natural oils. Try our Gentle Cleansing Body Wash which is made with highly moisturizing and protective organic coconut, olive, and jojoba oils. Combine it with a natural bath accessory to make a perfect bath and body gift.
Body oils contain no water so are the purest form of moisturizer, making them great gifts for winter. Lotions consist of mostly water and winter conditions will typically evaporate the water from your skin before your lotion can do the job. Our Revitalize blend products are great for winter because it includes Rosemary (to increase circulation) and Geranium (balancing and moisturizing to the skin) essential oils, not to mention Eucalyptus to help keep your head and sinuses clear. If you have friends that suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SADD) and seem to get pretty down during the dark winter months, try giving them our Inspiration body oil with its uplifting blend of citrus oils!
Interestingly, many of the plant-based culinary oils you use in the kitchen can play a dual role in promoting and maintaining skin health in the dead of winter and throughout the year. Vegetable and nut oils like coconut, high-oleic safflower or sunflower, extra virgin olive, almond, or avocado are not only healthful when consumed internally, but can also be highly effective at hydrating, moisturizing, and protecting your skin when applied topically. Each of these oils is commonly found in natural skin care products. For the best possible results, I always recommend products that use these oils as their primary base because you can realize their immediate benefits without exposing yourself or the environment to the harmful toxins found in products made with petroleum or synthetic ingredients.
Lip care products that help lips retain their moisture and elasticity. There’s probably no more delicate or widely used part of your body than your lips. And just as your skin is prone to dryness and even damage from exposure to the elements, especially during winter, so too are your lips. In fact, your lips are a lot more sensitive than the rest of your skin because unlike your skin, which has the ability to hydrate and regulate moisture, your lips have no sebaceous glands or lipids (fats) to help them retain moisture. Our all-natural Lip Balm Gift Set makes a wonderful gift to combat winter dry lips. For more on this read our blog post From Chappy To Happy, Discover The Best Lip Balm Ingredients To Keep You Smiling.
Like the rest of your skin, your lips need a good balance of ingredients that are emollients (softeners) and humectants (moisturizers that attract and hold water to the skin). The good news is there are a wide variety of emollient ingredients you can use. The bad news is the ones found in most lip products are petroleum-based and work via something called “occlusion” which means the act of closing off. They are spread onto the skin to slow or prevent moisture evaporation and are made from oils and waxes that can’t be penetrated by water.
