That’s right; Old Man Winter is sucking the life out of your skin. Or should I say the moisture right out of your skin. Did you know that when Relative Humidity falls below 60%, your skin begins to lose moisture? RH in homes and offices is around 40% and could get even lower in winter when heaters crank up.  When you lose moisture, your skin’s protective barrier begins to crack, making it less able to repair itself. Larger areas of skin on the arms or legs may look like the Sahara Desert, but on the face, cracks turn into wrinkles!

• You may get keratosis pilaris, really rough dry skin. These affected areas will need exfoliation. A liquid exfoliant like our Pumpkin Enzyme Exfoliator or Alpha Beta Acid Serum should be applied first to loosen or dissolve the dead skin build-up. Leave on overnight or at least two hours. Next, use a buff puff or our Honey Jojoba Scrub to remove dead cells and rinse with lukewarm water. Apply moisturizer. 
• Hands and Feet suffer during the cold winter months. Many of our products have dual purposes and the Shea Butter Cleansing Cream is a fantastic heavy-duty moisturizer. Soak and exfoliate your hands and/or feet. Next, moisturize with our Shea Butter Cleansing Cream and finally don white cotton gloves or socks just before bedtime. When you wake up, the difference is amazing. 
• Cleopatra used to bathe in milk because of the lactic acid which helps slough dead skin. Today I recommend adding Triple Action Youth Serum (a combination of lactic and glycolic acid) to our Honey Jojoba Scrub and gently buff your body before you shower. Homemade honey and sugar scrubs made with olive oil or MCT oil are great winter treats to your skin for gentle exfoliation, also. I like to add Pumpkin Enzyme Exfoliator to the blend for an extra kick. Buff the entire body with the mixture before you shower. Afterwards, use our wonderful Aloe Body Lotion which absorbs quickly to moisturize.
• If you like taking milk baths: fill tub with warm water and add two to four cups of buttermilk. Adding Lavender Oil will fragrance the milk water with a relaxing aroma. Soak for 20 minutes. Drain tub, rinse your body and the tub well. Himalayan Salt and Epsom Salt Baths with your favorite essential oils also aid in healing dry skin during those harsh winter months. Afterwards, apply Aloe Body Lotion!
• Use milder liquid soaps like our Aloe Bath Gel. Perfumed soaps are too harsh because of the alcohol and sulfite contents which lead to extreme dryness, which leads to cracks and scales, and the cycle of dryness is never-ending.
• Your face will need EXTRA moisture in the Winter. And of course, that means including the superstar of humectants: Hyaluronic Acid also known as Sodium Hyaluronate. This natural wonder absorbs 1000 times its weight in moisture and is abundant in our skin when we are young. As we age, we can no longer make as much as needed, so skin begins to dehydrate, thin, and wrinkle. So I created a new anti-aging serum called Hyaluronic Booster with CBD. This new serum HYDRATES, PLUMPS, AND SQUEALCHES INFLAMMATION. Simply smooth on under your AM or PM creams for a more youthful appearance.
  

• And of course, you need a good moisturizer. Our Sensitive Skin Care products are created with Jojoba to add an extra moisture barrier, to prevent moisture loss. AM Protection and Grapeseed PM Complex will give you extra protection in the Winter! Don't forget about your toner in the Winter as they should keep your acid mantle working optimally. Avoid toners with witch hazel and alcohol as they dehydrate instead of hydrate. Aloe Botanical Toning Mist for Sensitive Skin combines chamomile and lavender along with Hyaluronic to mist on goodness during this harsh season. 
• More help for the face is our new Probiotic Stem Cell Serum was designed to aid the skin in rehydration and renewal.  It works well under our moisturizers for day and night. I also updated our fabulous Lip Plumper with more hyaluronate and plumping peptides to keep lips from chapping and shrinking this winter.
• Another way to hydrate is with lipids! Our skin manufactures a certain amount of oil called squalene when young, but by the age of thirty, you are on your own. Essential Fatty Acids to the rescue. They are called essential because your body cannot manufacture them, so they must come from the outside in. That’s why you should be taking omega oil capsules for the health of your internal cells. BUT your skin needs the EFA’s too. My new Ageless CBD Body Oil contains ten fabulous lipids rich in Essential Fatty Acids to rehydrate scaly alligator skin and crepy-looking skin. Light enough to use over the entire body just before getting dressed. Makes skin softy and dewy and young again with no surface residue.
• Will drinking lots of water give you that dewy, hydrated look? No, I’m afraid not. While drinking half your weight in ounces is imperative for optimal health, it will not give your skin that extra glow or moisturize the outer surface of your skin. Eating loads of fruits and vegetables will help hydrate from the inside out. During the winter months, we tend to eat more root vegetables which is also helpful since they increase Hyaluronic production. Sugar and alcohol are very dehydrating, so cut back on these during the cold weather season.

ALOE VERA TO THE RESCUE

Aloe Vera is the strongest anti-inflammatory on the planet. That is why you can rub it directly on burns. This miracle plant shuts down inflammation so the skin can begin repairing itself. It is also known for exceptional mucopolysaccharides which are plant sugars that stimulate hyaluronate synthesis, resulting in an increase in water-binding capacity and viscoelasticity of the skin.  That is why we make products with our famous 200% aloe base. With this concentration of beneficial aloe vera, most people see instant moisturizing results.

OLD MAN WINTER

Old man winter does not have to suck all the life and moisture out of your skin. Stock up on our Aloe Vera Treats and follow some of these great tips and your skin will love you this winter!!!!!