Ready for winter? Here are five steps you can take to stay hydrated during the cold weather this season!
Drink plenty of water
It can be easy to forget to drink water during the winter months. We simply don’t feel as thirsty without the heat! Often, we don’t notice that we have allowed ourselves to get dehydrated until we start seeing physical symptoms, such as chapped lips, brain fog, muscle cramps, and sluggish digestion. Staying in a dehydrated state while it’s cold and you are not getting as much vitamin D from the sun also contributes to a weakened immune system. If the thought of chugging cups full of cold water during the winter is not appealing to you, that’s ok, you have other options! Try drinking room temperature water, or even hot water (as herbal tea or with added lemon for flavor). As much as we hope that it would, coffee doesn’t fit into this category, unfortunately, since caffeine is a dehydrator.
Eat hydrating foods
You can add hydrating foods to your diet during the winter to help. Soup is a great option, as it combines the hydration of a nourishing broth with the comfort of a warm, filling meal!
Use a rich moisturizer
Our faces are not the only skin that feels the effects of the cold air! To lock in as much moisture as possible to your skin, try using a rich moisturizer all over your body while your skin is still damp from a shower. Our Isoflavonia body lotion is the perfect choice to retain and add moisture where your skin needs it most. For your face, try our Night Replenisher to help replenish lipids in your skin as you sleep.
Look for extra hydrating ingredients in your skincare, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, urea, panthenol.
Hyaluronic acid is one of the most powerful hydrating ingredients in skincare. It acts like a sponge, holding moisture molecules in the skin for a long period of time, keeping you hydrated all day long! Because the molecules are smaller and lighter, hyaluronic acid works best when it is used directly against the skin for optimal absorption and then sealed with a heavier moisturizer.
Keep a humidifier going
The dry and often stagnant air from central air furnaces takes a toll on our skin during the winter! We can combat this by keeping a humidifier going in our homes or offices. If space is an issue, you can get personal-sized humidifiers that are perfect for smaller office spaces!
Avoid super hot showers
Hot water can diminish your skin’s natural barrier and cause it to lose hydration and natural oils. This tip is tough to implement since there is nothing better than a long, hot bath on a cold day, but I promise, it makes a difference! If you are like me and simply can’t give up baths, try sticking to no more than once a week to give your skin a chance to replenish its natural oils in between.
By implementing even one or two of these tips, you can be confident that your skin will stay as happy and healthy as possible all winter long!
