Save your skin this season ... Easy steps for perfect skin during the Winter months

The Winter months are hard on everyone. Lack of sunlight, cold weather and exceptionally dry air are just a few things that can add to a less than perfect look. Add in the Holidays (aka major changes in our diet and lifestyles) and many of us begin to become less than pleased with our appearance. Here are a few steps to ensure a pleasant glow all year long.

1. Exfoliate your skin ! This is key... There is no point in trying to hydrate dry dead skin cells on your face. You want to treat the fresh skin underneath. Exfoliating 2-3 times a week (try every other day) religiously, will improve the overall appearance. It refines the texture, takes years off, and allows you to treat problem areas at a quicker rate. If you tend to get a reddness after exfoliating, try either a liquid exfoliant or doing it before bed. ALWAYS REMEMBER to tone afterwards !!!!

2. How to deal with dry skin ! First understand what dry skin is. Dry skin has EVERYTHING to do with a lack in oil and NOTHING to do with water. Oil is the key to keeping your skin looking young. It is a minconception that oil will cause your skin to breakout...so change the way you think. Heavier lotions or nighttime lotions are all worth the investment this time of year. A good lotion will include an ingredient called Jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is the closest thing to your skins natural oil (sebum). Thus it will actually treat you dry skin.

3. Read the ingredients ! Stay away from product that contain anything petroleum based. (Vaseline, Petroleum Jelly, Baby Oil, Mileral Oil) Though your skin will feel like it is silky smooth, it does the opposite. Petroleum oil creates a barrier so that oxygen cannot hit your skin, thus it will dry it out even more. I could get on a soap box and state how horrible these ingredients are, but for now I will save my breath.

4. Stop taking super hot showers ! Though they feel good as they warm you up, steam will actually dry your skin out after about 7 minutes. Turn the water temperature down. It is better for your budget anyway.

5. Stay away from self-tanners ! Don't get me wrong, I too love a healthy glow. But, talk about being able to tell you are using something. If you cannot give up the self tanner, mix it with moisturizer. It will cut down how dark you get. Better yet, get a really light bronzer. Dusty is appropritely to contour your face and body. A light golden color is more than enough.

6. Last, but not least...What to do with chapped lips ! Exfoliate then treat. How simple is that. Make up a sugar paste at home and exfoliate away. Jojoba oil and sugar is awesome. And super gentle to the skin. In fact, you can use it over your whole body. The jojoba oil will treate the skin and the sugar will exfoliate the dry dead skin cells aways. I will post a youtube video of awesome lip balms you can make at home. Yummy yum yum!!!

Hope this helped. And enjoy the season.