The cold air of winter may not do your skin any favors, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with dull, lifeless looking skin until spring comes around.
Instead of your usual routine, try some of these homemade remedies that can help your skin look its best over the harsh winter months.
Green Tea and Oat Facial Scrub
Green tea is loaded with antioxidants that are good for your skin, and oats can gently slough off some of the dry skin that has a tendency to clog pores in the winter.
Best of all, you probably already have everything you need for this easy facial scrub.
1. Combine 1/3 cup of cooled brewed green tea with a tablespoon of sugar. Stir the mixture to combine.
2. Add 1 tablespoon whole oats.
3. Add an additional 1 tablespoon sugar.
To use the green tea and oat facial scrub, simply massage the mixture onto your skin for about 20 to 30 seconds over the sink.
Once you’re done and all of the scrub is gone, rinse your face with cool water.
Olive Oil and Rosehip Moisturizer
Dry skin plagues most of us in the winter.
Instead of slathering on the body butter and shelling out a fortune at the cosmetics counter, try this all-natural cure for dry skin.
The olive oil will lubricate the skin, and the rosehips will help soothe winter redness.
1. Combine 1/2 olive oil and 2 tablespoons rosehips in a small saucepan on the stove top.
2. Heat the mixture over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t let the olive oil smoke.
3. Turn the heat off and put the top on the saucepan. Let the mixture sit for three to four hours.
4. Strain the olive oil out with a fine mesh sieve. Place the oil in a small bottle and discard the rosehips.
You can use the olive oil and rosehip moisturizer all over your body whenever you feel like you need it. However, the oil can stay on your skin for quite a while, so many people prefer to use olive oil at night when they aren’t out in public. You don’t want to look wet and shiny.
Banana, Egg and Honey Face Mask
Those might sound like ingredients for a simple breakfast or a killer power smoothie, but you can put them on your face instead of in your mouth.
This face mask will help to revitalize dull looking skin and give you that little bit of extra glow you may be missing between November and March.
1. Mash 1/2 whole banana in a large mixing bowl. You can use a potato masher or large spoon.
2. Add one egg yolk and beat the mixture together with a whisk or the tines of a fork.
3. Add 1/2 tablespoon honey. Mix the ingredients with a spoon.
Use the banana, egg and honey face mask by applying it to your face right after you wash and pat it dry.
Leave the mask on for 15 minutes before you rinse it off with cool water. Follow this mask with a rich moisturizer like the olive oil and rosehip moisturizer above.
Homemade Bath Salts
A relaxing bath can be a great way to relax after a stressful day.
Adding your own bath salts can make it even better, and if you add the right ingredients, better for your skin.
When you use the bath salts, try adding about 1/4 cup to the running water.
1. Pour 2 cups of kosher salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Add 1/8 cup of the essential oil of your choice. See the guide below.
3. Mix the kosher salt and essential oil vigorously for one minute with a wooden spoon.
4. Transfer the bath salts to a container that you can keep in the bathroom. Glass works as long as you don’t keep it by the tub.
Certain essential oils are better for certain skin types.
Here’s a short list to help you figure out what type is best for your skin.
Dry skin: vetiver, Roman or German chamomile, lavender
Oily skin: bergamot, thyme, grapefruit
Normal skin: rose, cypress, geranium
Don’t Forget to Exercise
Cold weather can make us want to curl up on the couch with a magazine or the remote control, but inactivity can lead to dull skin.
Even a little bit of exercise can add a rosy glow to your skin by getting the blood flowing.
It’s also good your cardiovascular health.
You don’t need to run a marathon or spend all day at the gym.
Try jogging 15 to 20 minutes per day or taking a walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes in the morning or afternoon.
Aim for at least 90 minutes of exercise per week.
Winter Time Blues
Keeping the effects of winter on you skin at bay is actually pretty easy and inexpensive.
Just take some time each day to make sure you’re taking good care of yourself.
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