I went to my local Myer the other day to get a new foundation matched to my skin tone (long story short, I have been wearing three shades too dark for the last two years) and I was hit with a rude awakening.
The attendant bustled out from behind her counter to help match a colour to my skin, with her trusty foundation brush in hand. She brought it to my skin and, where the brush should have glided right over my soft supple skin, it literally stopped.
In horror, the attendant said "my god, your skin is so dry". The joys of winter skin.
Although I have tough skin (pardon the pun) in most situations, I must have been visibly upset because she quickly apologised before awkwardly trying to sell me a moisturiser.
It was at this moment that I vowed to make a change - I would not suffer through this autumn and winter with sandpaper skin.
Did you know that during winter, the water in your skin evaporates much quicker than it does in summer? It's partly due to the fact that humidity levels in the air outside drop dramatically, but there are other reasons too.
During winter, we spend more time in dry (thanks to artificial heating), indoor air and have longer and hotter showers, which strip our skin of natural oils
The moral to all of this is that we have to try harder to keep our skin in shape.
Since my ordeal, I have taken 5 steps to help my skin along and I wanted to share them with you because I am sure that I can't be the only one who is experience this extreme dryness.
STEP 1: Get a facial
Ok so your first thought is "who has time for that" and that was mine too but I had a very lucky moment - my local salon sent out an email advertising some awesome specials for that night only. My yoga class had been cancelled and I had an hour to spare so my decision was made up for me!
I am SO GLAD that I went. It gave my skin the kick start that it needed, and I was able to get some really good advice.
An alternative could be an at home face mask. I like to use cloth masks - it's like a piece of fabric with eye holes that is soaked in all kinds of moisture filled goodness - because you can even wear them while you cook dinner and most of the time you don't need to wash your skin later.
STEP 2: Leave your moisturiser where you can see it
Or reminder post it notes on your dresser (this is very effective). This is a great way to remind you to moisturise throughout the day! I like to leave a hand moisturiser in the car, as well as one of those little hydrating sprays - so often I would be driving and have a 'damn I forgot to moisturise' moment, so having supplies in the car really helps!
STEP 3: Carry a water bottle with you
There's no harm in hydrating yourself inside, in order to hydrate your skin. We should be drinking more water in winter (it feels weird, I know) and having a water bottle is a good way to remind yourself to do it!
STEP 4: Sleep with a humidifier
I have to confess that I haven't carried out this step yet, but it's on my list of things to get sorted before autumn turns into winter. A humidifier puts the moisture back into the air, giving your skin a little break. In addition, it'll help your chapped lips and dry throat as well!
STEP 5: Learn to love your skin
This step might seem like a bit of a cop out and while it isn't really a practical one, this step works! The more that you love your skin, the more likely you are to put aside time to take care of it, and skin care really does take time!
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