Winter!!! I absolutely love fluffy snow that falls so nicely and almost paints the surrounding trees and lawns. The flakes fall down in a flurry as if they are dancing with the wind. There is hot chocolate by the fire and you can snuggle up in your coziest clothes with a blanket, book and, my personal favorite, with my dog Lily. The downside...shoveling, accidents, power outages, delays and skin freak outs! Ok, I know there are many other downsides but this time of year my skin is always plagued with that tight and dull feeling. To fight back against the elements I arm myself with some of my favorite skincare goodies that help beneath the surface as well!
One of the first things I like to do to brighten my complexion is exfoliate. I usually do this step once I have already washed my face with either an oil or a very mild cleanser. This lovely face scrub up above is from a company named Rainwater Botanicals. They have a great shop on Etsy with lots of other skin goodies. I first heard about them through the lovely blogger and youtuber iluvjesse444. She is just a wealth of knowledge about all things natural and organic and I am trying to be more conscious of what I am putting on my skin. She had talked about her latest skin care routine and had included some of the products from Rainwater Botanicals, so naturally I was intrigued and had to check them out.
The Walnut and Elm Facial Scrub was part of my original order and I have loved it ever since. It is a very fine scrub that almost looks like brown sugar. It has finely ground walnut shell that sloughs away any dead skin cells while also unclogging pores to reveal a brighter more refreshed face! My skin tends to be very sensitive but I don't find that this irritates it at all. I also only use the scrub about once to two times a week. The scrub also contains extracts of organic rosehips and slippery elm that help to nourish and protect the skin. My skin feels so smooth and amazing after using this and it helps my moisturizer to sink right in.
After cleansing and exfoliating its time to replenish the skin with some moisture rich products. During the summer months I can usually get away with using just a moisturizer or a facial oil but in these winter months I have been paring them up for extra hydration.
The two oils I use the most are either Grapeseed oil or the Badger Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil. The badger has been my ultimate weapon against the extreme cold and the extreme indoor heating! So much power packed into one bottle and it does so much for your skin. This contains hydrating oils such as jojoba and baobab but also has antioxidant protection with extracts of pomegranate. Rosehip oil is made up primarily of fatty acids that are great for the skin but also contains high levels of Vitamin C and A which have anti-aging properties. This is the perfect oil to help hydrate and balance out the skin, I just slather some on mostly as part of my night routine. I will always have a bottle in my cabinet! Grapeseed oil is something that I newly discovered, and I have been using this to hydrate my skin during the day. It looks like it would be heavy but it actually absorbs right into the skin and my face never feels tight like if I were to smile it would crack into a million pieces. Grapeseed oil also has antioxidant protection and is a natural anti-inflammatory so it is great for people suffering with acne as well. These two oils have been game changers for me and my skin this winter.
At night I will also use a heavy duty moisturizer that will help protect and repair the skin while I sleep. For this I turn to another gem from Rainwater Botanicals called the Intensive Repair Cream. This cream is also packed full of great ingredients such as coconut oil, aloe, organic shea butter, hyaluronic acid and more powerful antioxidants. This not only hydrates but also repairs any damage left over from scarring, fine lines, and boost moisture levels in the skin. An all around great cream. Even though my skin is dry I do tend to wear this at night because it is a lot thicker than most moisturizers.
Another thing that helps skin to look great but is also great for your overall health is to drink more water!! I am terrible at this. I always have the intention to drink more water but fail miserably. What I have been doing is placing water bottles around my room and around the house almost as a reminder. I will keep one on my bedside table as well so that first thing in the morning I will reach for it. I am trying to be better because I know this is a crucial step for your skin externally but it is also important internally.
To moisturize the rest of my body I like to use coconut oil because it sinks right into my skin. It goes beneath the surface to really retain moisture and my skin feels moisturized throughout the day. Some lotions I have used in the past I put on and then feel like a few hours later that they are gone. Coconut oil has so many great uses for your skin and for cooking and you can't beat the price for the amount of product you get!
My last little item here I stumbled upon while perusing the isles of my local health food store. I'm such a skincare addict that I'm always on the lookout for new fun products to experiment with. The Everyday Coconuts, Coconut Water Face Toner is a great way to rehydrate during the day. I have even transferred some into a smaller container for my purse so I can bring it with me whenever I need a little boost. It has a nice subtle relaxing scent that disappears so its not stuck with you all day if you are sensitive to smell. It contains neem as an anti-bacterial and papaya to help firm and tone the skin.
These are just some of the products I have tried and turned to during this winter season and my skin has thanked me for it! I'm always on the lookout for new products to try and I have definitely found myself looking more into natural skincare like Rainwater Botanicals. Have any of you tried any of these products? Any suggestions on more brands I should try?
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