Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a list of tips that will assist you in maintaining a healthy and vibrant skin this winter.
Whilst winter is blowing its first kisses at us, it does not mean that your skin has to be showing it. Instead, it is time to access your needs and adopt the adequate structures to ensure that your skin remains at its best. Here is a list of tips to adopt this winter and “Goodbye winter skin blues”.
1. The common mistakes we make is to use the same products throughout the year. We say “No,no,no”. Every season has to be handled independently as our skin responds to the weather. Both winter and summer are aggressive to the skin in their own way and it is vital for the health of your skin to adopt different appropriate regimes for each of them. Winter is a season in itself and should be embraced as such. Your skin needs a whole lot more love in winter and it all lies in your choice of products for the season. Choose wisely before spending your hard earned money on the wrong product. Your winter products should give you more than ever of this much needed moisture to prevent your skin from flaking. It is time to put away your summer products and rethink your strategy. We are creatures of habits and tend to stick to what we know but trust me on this one and you won’t be biting your flakey lips.
2. The first product you should rethink, is your soap. Synthetic soaps are designed to be cheap. They do the trick and clean your skin but are certainly not ideal. What we are told is soap is in fact detergent and it simply strips your skin without replacing the moisture it is removing. This results in dry, flaky and damaged skin. Instead, you should choose a gentle and moisturizing soap that will not strip your skin and dry it out. Your best option here is to get your hands on natural soap that will pamper your skin and keep it moisturized. That way, you ensure that the moisture content in your skin is higher. This will keep your skin hydrated, healthy and comfortable.
 |
| This is a Bath Lily |
A natural soap can last a very long time if used correctly. Here is how to get a long lasting natural soap. First you have to get yourself a Bath Lily as this will assist you in working up the soap lather using as little soap as possible. It will also help you spread that lather all over your body and as a bonus, it gives a gentle exfoliation as well.
Application: Once in your shower or bath, place the soap under the water for 1 second just to get it wet, then do the same with the bath lily. Once, both of them are wet, rub some soap onto the bath lily and place the soap in a soap dish that will allow the water to drain from it and keep it as dry as possible. Make sure to stand the soap on its smallest surface area away from running water. Now, massage the bath lily to work up the lather and wash your body. Once finished, rinse the bath lily as well. You will notice that Natural soap rinses faster than synthetic detergents as it does not cling onto surfaces. Rinse the soap off your body and tah-dah, clean, moisturized skin!!!
You can find Natural Gourmet Soaps specially designed to moisturise your skin:
The Body Bar
(Prices: R15-R25 per bar)
 |
| A selection of Natural Gourmet Soaps from The Body Bar |
In’Fusion Vintage Soaps
(Prices: Rs100-Rs200 per Bar)
 |
| One of the delicious soaps available at In'Fusion Vintage Soaps |
3. Another really good winter tip is to alternate your shower temperatures. Hot water relaxes our body and opens your pores for easy cleansing. This delivers a thorough cleanse of the pores as when they are open, the dirt comes out of them easier. On the other hand, cold water wakes you up, increases muscle tone and closes your pores. Once the dirt has been washed away, it is important to close the pores again as this will prevent dirt from entering them. Also, closing your pores in the shower traps into them the moisture that is around, making sure your skin remain hydrated. This makes contrast
showers a great way to clean and hydrate your skin. This method also improves the blood circulation and boosts your immune system. Warning: Do not do this if you suffer from hypertension, epilepsy or any other cardiovascular disorders. Also avoid this method after eating.
4. Now, we all love to make sure our face is glowing, what about the body our head is screwed on? You need to exfoliate, exfoliate and exfoliate some more. This is the most important step of your weekly beauty regime. As we go about out day to day life, our skin is continuously regenerating itself and shedding off dead skin cells. These dead skin cells are trouble. You might not always see them but believe me, they are here. First, they make your skin look dull since they are dead skin cells remember (no life in them) ? Then, they block your pores and can cause skin irregularities in the texture and colour of your skin. Over and above that, they prevent your moisturizer from doing its job effectively by reducing their penetration into the skin. Also, they can block your pores and create unnecessary pimples and infections. Conclusion, they have to go and soap alone is not enough. Your best option here is to use a scrub. Exfoliating with a scrub will remove these dead skin cells and allow the new soft and vibrant skin layer underneath to breathe. That layer is full of moisture, healthy and vibrant. Also, exfoliation stimulates blood circulation and guess what, you will feel the cold a whole lot less!!!
Now, do not over do the exfoliation, this will irritate your skin. Once you start exfoliating, you will feel a noticeable different in how your skin feels and you will love it. Most people then exfoliate as often as possible to feel good but don’t. Do what is necessary and suit your skin’s needs rather. If you have dry skin, it is best to exfoliate once a week. For normal skin, once or twice is fine. No more!!! If you have oily skin you can look at exfoliating up to three times a week if the scrub is gentle enough. It is vital that you follow this rule of thumb to keep your skin happy. Everything in moderation applies here.
Application: There is a best way to use a scrub and it is important to follow the rule of thumb so here is the method: First wash your skin using a natural soap to remove the excess of dirt and some of the dead skin cells. This is done purely so that the scrub exfoliates deeper. Then, place some of the scrub into the palm of your hand and massage your skin gently in circular motions. Repeat it until your whole body is scrubbed and then rinse and wash the scrub off. Your skin will feel soft and smooth and you will see a noticeable difference in the overall colour and texture of your skin.
You can find Natural Gourmet Scrubs specially designed to exfoliate deeply and moisturise your skin:
The Body Bar
(Price: R50 for 250 grams)
Selection of Delicious Body Scrubs from The Body Bar
In’Fusion Vintage Soaps
(Price: Rs350 for 275 grams)
 |
| In'Fusion Vintage Soaps' delicious Vanilla Body Scrub |
5. Drink loads of water. Remember that your skin reflects what goes inside your body as well. A poor diet and dehydration show up on your skin. The best way to know how much water you should drink is obtained through a simple calculation. I met an expert last year, who explained to me that not everyone has to drink the same amount of water a day. Instead, she explained to me that my body weight will determine my water intake. Here is the simple calculation. Divide your weight by 10 and add 2. Example: I weigh 51kgs so 51/10=5.1. I now add 2 (5.1+2=7.1) which I round off to 7. I should drink 7 glasses of water a day. Of course the glass refers to 250ml, so I should drink at least 1750ml a day. She also proceeded in explaining that it is best to drink out of glass than plastic and that the water should be at room temperature rather than cold. Also if you know about Masaru Emoto’s research on water crystal’s response to words, you might want to try it for yourself. I have not yet done it but I see no harm in it and it takes a few seconds to write a positive word on sticky paper and stick it on the bottle. Who knows???
6. Soak in salt water at least once a week. Salt water is the perfect detox for the skin. It first cleanses the skin and removed impurities from our pores. Your skin will then absorb the minerals from the water which in turn replenishes its mineral content. Now the sea is cold in winter, this is why bath salts are fantastic to have. You can also use a soap made with Salt in it if you do not have a bath.
Bath salts are designed not only to cleanse your skin but also for relaxation. It will relax you by sedating your nervous system which in turn will relax your muscles as well. Bath Salts also firm and tone your skin. In addition, bath salts will soften the bath water and make it less aggressive to the skin. The water we use is full of chemicals that have been used to clean and purify that water. These chemicals can be harsh on the skin and this is why bath salts are important as they soften it. Last but not least, salt water also assists the healing of the skin should you have any wounds.
Application: Sprinkle the salts in your hot bath and soak soak soak. The salt will melt and spread throughout the bath and do its job, there is nothing else you need to do, just relax!!!
The Salt Bars of soap are used just like your normal soap.
You can find Natural Gourmet Bath Salts and Salt Bars specially designed to detoxify and replenish the mineral content in your skin:
The Body Bar
Bath Salts
(Price: R50 for 550 grams)
 |
| Delicious Gourmet Bath Salts from The Body Bar |
In’Fusion Vintage Soaps
Salt Bars
(Price: Rs125-Rs175 for +- 200 grams)
 |
| In'Fusion Vintage Soaps' Strawberry Salt Bar |
7. The very next step is what will make or break your new winter routine. You have to moisturise. The best time to do that is after showering/bathing as the cream captures and traps that moisture from the air in your skin. Remember that using your cream on clean skin is the key to success. If you use cream on skin that has been out and about, you run the risk of trapping dirt and all sorts into your pores and this is why the cream you will choose is vital. It has to be richer than your summer lotions so you can do one application right after your shower/bath and that application should last until your next shower/bath. Overnight it is beneficial to use a butter instead of a cream as it hold in moisture more effectively.
Butters can be inconvenient in the day as they remain greasy on the skin. They also give the skin a shine that is unwanted during the day. This can also cause your clothes to stick to you and you are likely to feel uncomfortable and greasy. At night, the humidity is considerably less than during the day, which in turn will reduce that greasy feeling. The greasy feeling is attributed to the moisture that is attracted to the butter. Lotion, creams and butter formulas are all designed not only to hydrate, nourish and moisturise but also to attract moisture and keep it near the skin. Butters attract more moisture than lotions and creams and during the day, there is more humidity and moisture to attract. This is why butters are best at night or in very dry climates.
Shea butter products are good for the overnight butter pamper. In the morning, your skin will be smoother and softer with this option. Conclusion: use cream in the day and butter overnight.
You also need to know that lotions, creams and butters are not only designed to hydrate and moisturise but also to protect your skin. They prevent moisture loss by locking in the moisture into your pores but also prevent dirt and other particles from entering your pores. So no excuses this winter, you have to moisturise.
Remember that your moisturiser will be absorbed into your skin and this is why using a natural moisturiser is important. You do not want your skin to absorb synthetic ingredients that end up damaging it in the long term. Also you have to apply synthetic moisturisers more often as they moisturise for a shorter period of time than natural ones (cheap ingredients remember???), which means that you end up moisturising skin that is dirty since it has been exposed to dirt.
You can find Natural Gourmet Creams specially designed to hydrate, nourish, protect and moisturise your skin:
The Body Bar
(Price: R40 for 150 grams)
 |
| The Body Bar's Delicious Natural Body Cream |
In’Fusion Vintage Soaps
(Price: Body Cream: Rs350 for 200 grams)
 |
| In'Fusion Vintage Soaps' Gourmet Body Cream |
I hope this list of tips has been useful to you. Please comment on the post to give me feedback on this article. I want to publish articles more often and I would like to know if you want to read these tips and articles in the future. Thank you xx
If you are interested in any of the products you have seen above contact:
Sarah Marot
The Body Bar Formulator
Cell: +27 76 545 7970
Email: infusion@iburst.co.za
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/bodybar.co.za
Nathalie Marot
In’Fusion Vintage Soaps Formulator
Cell: +230 747 7231
Email: natali@intnet.mu
Join us on Facebook to keep updated with our new products and this will automatically enter you in our lucky draw promotions, you may win lots of delicious prizes.
Thank you for visiting The Body Bar Today
See you soon
ox Sarah and Nathalie xo
No comments:
Post a Comment