Secret weapons for radiant skin

I like winter. I always have. I love the snow, I love the crisp cold air, and most of all, I love the mugs of hot chocolate winter gives us an excuse to drink. But the cold temperature also brings its load of pickles: scraping the ice off of our car every morning, freezing our toes in our snow boots, and, of course, dry skin.
 
During the winter, the air gets a lot colder and also a lot dryer. The lack of humidity in the air strips our skin from the oils it naturally produces, which can make it look dull and blotchy. The strong wind doesn’t help us either. It’s like pointing an air blower straight to our face, all day long! In addition, we often transition from the very cold outside to the very warm inside. It’s like a spa treatment, will you tell me? Unfortunately, no. Because it’s so cold outside, the first thing we do when we get inside is to turn up the heaters (often to crazy warm, never-before-seen temperatures). But the air coming out of our heaters isn’t like the summer breeze you would like to feel. It’s only dry air that’s warmer. That constant vicious circle of dry wind causes our skin to look red, flaky and just dull.
 
But fear not! Fortunately, there are some things that you can do during the winter (or any season!) to keep your skin happy. Here are my secret weapons against dry skin, an arsenal I built over the years. These will help you fight the winter madness and have radiant skin all year long.

Cherry stem tea

I found out about this when I was in my senior year of high school. I had acne that was making me very self-conscious, so my mom told me about cherry stem tea. Apparently one of her sisters had tried it when she was a teenager because she had really bad acne. "But I’m warning you", said my mom, "it tastes awful." I was ready to do anything – or drink anything – to get rid of my pimples. Turns out, it doesn’t taste bad at all. It’s the most basic, normal looking tea you could ever find. I wish it would turn your tea red, but it only gives it that basic yellow tint. Cherry stem tea is known to have diuretic properties, in addition to being packed with vitamins. Basically, it helps you eliminate toxins and excess water, while filling you up with vitamins A, C and E. I started drinking one cup every night and after only a few days, I started to notice that my skin was clearer, more radiant and my skin tone was more even. Now, I talked about this to many people and none have believed me. But I promise you, it works.
 
You can find cherry stem tea at some drugstores and most herbalists, for about 4$. And everybody loves tea, right?

Oat as a face wash

Yes, you read this right. And I don’t mean using a face wash that has oat in it. I mean literally using oat to wash your face. Oat is very beneficial for your skin; it has anti-inflammatory properties and is naturally moisturizing.
 
I recommend doing this in the shower, as it can get a little messy. Simply drop a teaspoon of oat in your hand, form a fist and place it under running water. The water seeping in from between your fingers will transform your oat into… well, basically, oatmeal. The milky substance that will come out of it acts as a face wash, and the little pieces of oat helps you get rid of dead skin. It’s basically an all-natural, water activated face scrub. You can even leave it on while washing the rest of your body for an impromptu face mask. Don’t forget to rinse off, and you’ll be having clear, radiant skin in no time.

Neutrogena pink grapefruit Acne Wash foaming scrub

This is my holy grail.  I’ve been using this face wash for years, and I have yet to find something that is even remotely as good. I use it every morning, religiously. The scent is super fresh and zesty, so it truly helps to wake me up, and I then feel like I have extra clean skin to put my makeup on. I also like that it’s an exfoliant, which prevents me from accumulating dead skin. Over time, that has helped to keep my skin clear, balanced and happy.
 
Little disclaimer: I have recommended this product to many of my friends, and not all of them were entirely satisfied. This product is on the stronger side, and it is a scented product, which means that it can trigger allergic reactions. Just like with every product, it is strongly recommended to test it out before starting regular use.

SPF

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the sun has lost all of its power. It is still out there, peeking through the clouds, and your skin still needs protection. I recommend using a daily moisturizer that already has SPF in it; that way, you’re sure to avoid the “oh no, I forgot to put sunscreen on!” drama. Using SPF won’t directly make your skin more radiant, but it will protect it from sun damage, which means that it will stay clearer longer. And it’s just a good habit to have, in general.

Cold water

I know you may not want to hear this, especially during the winter, but cold water is good for your skin. It helps with blood circulation, and it is believed to boost your immune system (it also boosts your level of awareness when used early in the morning). Therefore, when washing your face in the shower, make sure to adjust the temperature. Most of us like our showers way warmer than normal lukewarm temperature (some people like them straight up boiling). Water that hot can strip the delicate skin on your face, and leave it extra dry and patchy.  That doesn’t mean you have to start bathing in ice, but do check the temperature.

All in all, I think what matters most is to find a skin routine that is well-balanced and that works for you. This may take some time, but don’t lose hope; clear and radiant days are still ahead.

-TM-