It has been a couple months since we complained about how hot and humid it was, so now our focus may be on how cold and dry it has become. It does seem that the grass is truly greener – in the other season, right?

But winter doesn’t have to be unbearably dry and miserable. It is a fabulous time of year, and without it, we may not truly appreciate the other 3 seasons.

There are some wonderful and healthy things you may have laying around your home that can help you combat the moisture-zapping winter months! Pair them with some routine changes and you will stay soft, smooth, and supple right into the promise of the spring season.

First and foremost (and possibly the cheapest and easiest tip) is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. When the heat is kicking inside and the cold wind is blowing outside, don’t forget to drink your filtered water! You will want to drink half your weight in ounces. For example, a 150-pound person would need to drink 75 ounces of water daily. If you are a coffee drinker, remember that is a diuretic and will NOT count towards your liquid intake; it will, in fact, deplete from it. Add equal amounts of water for the coffee you consume!! A 12-oz cup o’joe in the morning is fine, but remember to add 12 ounces of water to compensate.

Also, the intake of healthy fats will help our skin more than one might realize. Try adding salmon, avocado, nuts, olives, olive oil, and MCT oil to your diet. Another option would be a supplemental form of Omega 3-6-9 or Borage Oil. Skin and hair love dietary fats.

Next, we turn our attention to bathing and showering. Hot and steamy baths and showers may feel amazing when we are dealing with the winter blahs, but, truth be told, the heat causes the lipid barriers in our skin to break down which will lead to moisture loss. To protect your skin, turn down the heat in your bathing routine, and shorten up the bath and shower time! Your skin will thank you.

When you get out of the shower, pat your skin dry. The brisk towel rubbing method will also sap the skin’s moisture. This is a great time to lock in the moisture by applying coconut oil. Baby oil used to be all the rave, but since learning it is a petroleum based product, a natural coconut seems much more appealing to slather on skin… not to mention the amazing, tropical smell of the coconut lifting our spirit while we dream of our island getaway and listen to the sound of the steel drums…

OH WAIT – where was I?

Oh, yes. Dry, itchy, cracked skin – or preventing it!!

You can also protect your skin by choosing natural fabrics like flannel and cotton for your house wear! Cozy on up naturally and forego the synthetic and polyesters that can irritate even the healthiest of skin. If you have ever rubbed a dry hand along a microfiber cloth, you will know what I am talking about!

Speaking of hands, our hands and feet are often the most affected by the seasonal conditions. Since the skin on our hands and feet is so thin, our appendages often suffer the most extreme drying. Keep your hands covered outdoors in winter weather by wearing gloves. Keeping your feet covered outside in winter is kind of a no-brainer, but I will just throw that in here to be sure. You can also consider giving yourself a special treat on a cold night by applying coconut oil to your hands and feet and putting on gloves and socks while you sit back and read a book – or a blog – about winter skin care, perhaps. Be generous with the oil on your cuticles.

There isn’t much to do to protect our face outdoors, but a good moisturizer and perhaps a mineral based foundation will provide a layer of protection.

Lips will certainly enjoy a lip balm protectant which can lock in moisture and help prevent licking our lips to keep them moist – which will also irritate them and dry them out. There are so many healthy and organic lip options out there now. Beeswax, shea butter, essential oils, and the like are all amazing rewards for our lips that will serve as protection.

Now if this blog came too late, and you are already dealing with the dryness, or you don’t want to use heavy coconut oil, you can use therapeutic MSM lotion that is truly nothing short of amazing. I use it multiple times per day, and my skin remains smooth through the winter – and summer, too!

There are other supplements for healthy skin, too. Biotin is great for hair, skin, and nails and Resveratrol is an anti-oxidant that is well known for its skin benefits – specifically anti-aging.

Hopefully these tips can help you make it through the cold months comfortably.

How about you? Do you have any healthy tips you could share? Feel free to comment below!