10 Sure-Fire Skin Care Tips

We are right in the middle of a cold snap here in Canada, and I tell you my skin is sure feeling it. Our skin can take such a beating in this cold harsh climate. I've found that if I do these 10 easy skin care tips everyday especially during this cold weather, I can notice the change in my skin.

1. Drink Water - In order to keep my skin hydrated, I make sure that I am drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water every day... if I can get more than that in, all the better.
2. Colorful Veggies - Keeping a balanced diet and that includes a variety of colored vegetables (red peppers, broccoli, spinach, beets) helps to increase the antioxidants in my system and that helps to stop the free radicals from moving around.
3. Shower less - I enjoy having a shower everyday. It wakes me up, refreshes me, and gets me ready for the day. But what I find is that showering everyday especially during the winter months is so drying on my skin. So I try, one or two days a week if I'm not planning on going anywhere, not to have a shower.
4. Water Temperature - I make a conscious effort to cool it down a bit. When I get into the shower it's nice and warm, even steamy, then I remember that the hot water isn't good for my skin. I turn it down, just a bit. And I'm serious when I say, I have to consciously think about this almost everyday for it to happen, lol.
5. Natural Laundry Detergent - I've "gone green" when it comes to laundry products. Personal choice here, my line of thinking is that if it's bad for the environment then it can't be all that good to wash the clothing that sits on my skin all day.
6. Humidifier - I live in a very dry climate. I run a humidifier in my home to add some moisture back into the air.
7. No Soap - I do not use soap in the shower instead I use a milder cleansing body wash.
8. Hand washing - I know it's all the rage to make sure your hands are clean to help prevent the spread of germs, but I think we (or at least I) over-do this. When my son was still in diapers and messy with spit up and the like, I would wash my hands until they were raw, cracked and bleeding. So now I limit this where I possible. Do they need to be washed or simply wiped off?
9. Avoid strong fragrances - Anything with a strong fragrance tends to irritate my sensitive skin and so I avoid all the smell pretty products.
10. Moisturizer - Applying a good all natural moisturizer to the skin after a shower while the skin is still moist is probably the best thing to do. I use a body lotion that does not have any harsh chemicals or carcinogens in it (you'd be surprised how many do).

There you have it. By remembering to use all of these skin care tips on a daily basis, my skin is less dry and itchy. And I'm sure, it is much healthier.