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During the winter months many people suffer from cracked or dry skin. It is because the moisture is stripped away during cold weather, elevated heat temperatures inside the home and lack of moisture in the air. It’s uncomfortable, embarrassing and can make even the simplest motion of bending a finger a painful occurrence.

Glycerin which is commonly found in handmade soaps is a natural part of fat or oil. Glycerin soaps are believed to help replenish and add moisture. While not designed to specifically cure chapped skin, handmade glycerin soap does help rejuvenate the natural texture of the skin surface. It is healthy for the skin and less likely to cause irritation. In fact, many users have found that handmade glycerine soap may be beneficial to those who have sensitive skin.

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The biggest problem skin faces during winter is the changing temperatures. To help skin cope with these changing temperatures, switch to products with more nourishing ingredients such as Vitamin E or nut oils and with added vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Moisturizing must be a daily habit in any season whether that is winter, spring, summer or fall. The best time to moisturize is after a bath or shower for it absorbs moisture better. You only have three minutes to stop the evaporation of water from the skin so you better act fast. The skin dries out when too much water evaporates from the surface. Each time you wash your body, face, and hands it removes the layer of natural oil on the skin surface so moisturizer should be applied after. Soap should be avoided as it may dry skin further. Instead a gentle moisturising cleanser should be used. Cetaphil by Galderma has a wide range of products that best fits all skin types and all seasons especially during cold months when our skin is dry, chapped and flaky. From cleansers, shampoo, Ultra Hydrating lotion to Therapeutic hand cream Cetaphil helps retain the water seeping up from the deeper layers of the skin. It is advisable to apply lotion to your body twice a day; once in the morning and again at night. Keeping a lotion on your bag or on your purse is also a must so you can apply it anytime, anywhere.

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Although you might not realize it, the sun is actually out 365 days every single year. We associate winter with dull skies and plenty of rain and sometimes snow, but we barely think about the trouble that the sun can still cause. The sun does not necessarily have to be hot for it to be damaging, and it is possible to get damaged by its rays, even if it is hazy and cloudy. Though clouds do block a lot of the suns rays, they still only block 20% of the harmful rays, meaning that the other 80% still gets to us.

In winter, you can even get burnt and damaged by the sun, even if there is snow on the ground. The sun easily reflects off the snow and it can bounce up to 90% of the suns rays back up at you. So always take precautions even in winter!

If you thought winter skin care products can only be bought in department stores, think again.  Some of the best products can be found in no other place than the local supermarket.  Here are some natural ingredients that you can use to take care of your skin and hair this winter.

Baking Soda.  Baking soda can work as a bath powder, tooth whitener, or a deodorant.  Mix it with water and you have a simple solution that will remove reside from hair styling products off your hair, leaving it shiny and clean.

Citrus fruits.  Citric acid is the main component of citrus fruits, which works as a great antibacterial, especially on skin.  Its sweet, fresh scent will also help re-energize you.  If it looks like your hair is getting dull and dry, rinse it with a mixture of lemon juice and water.

Maple Syrup.  Did you know that you can use maple syrup as hair conditioner and a facial mask?  And that this is also one of the best natural moisturizers you can find?  For best results, get the ones that are marked 100% pure maple syrup.

Skincare is totally seasonal, just like your wardrobe. In summer, you’re busy with sun protection (aren’t you?) and self-tanners, while in winter you may seem addicted to moisturizers because your skin gets so dried out and flaky (this is called “winter itch”). So why the dry skin in winter? Low temperatures, low humidity and strong, harsh winds deplete skin of its natural lipid layer which keeps the skin from drying out.

To keep your skin feeling dewy and moist even in the harsh winter weather, follow these tips:

Keep Water Lukewarm, Not Hot
Hot water robs skin of moisture, so it’s best to shower in lukewarm water. If you can’t bear this rule — I can’t — try to keep your warm showers short and try showering only once per day. This also means skipping the hot tubs in winter (another rule I simply cannot bear).

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Here are some random winter skin care tips that can be helpful to you:

• Even if the sun is hiding on winter season, you must still apply sunscreen daily. It must be a part of your routine to apply them all throughout the year.
• Do not lick your lips all the time because this causes our lips to be chapped. Better bring a small lip balm with you wherever you go so you can apply it on your lips anytime.
• Drink plenty of water. Intake of at least 7-8 glasses of water a day is healthy.
• Exfoliate and Moisturize to keep the moisture of the skin.

I know a lot of people who don’t really like the idea of exfoliation, but did you know that exfloliating every week helps your skin in getting rid of possible build up of dead skin cells? Also, it helps in exposing the fresher layer of your skin. You still have to be careful in choosing facial exfoliants though. Use only the gentle ones and avoid products with very harsh chemicals on it. If you undergo exfoliation from time to time, you will observe that the fresh layers of the skin will be absorbing the moisturizers that you put on your skin every day.

It is advised that you take cooler but shorter showers on winter. It is important to have a consistent body temperature at this season. If possible, kindly avoid taking hot showers because it has the tendency to remove the essential oils of the body that maintains the balance of a normal skin.

Shampoos and Conditioners are a big part of bath time habits. Most of us rely on hair blowers to dry up our hair. Again, please avoid using hair blowers on winter season because it removes the important nutrients of the hair that leaves it dry and unhealthy. Not only that, our scalp is also affected.

Do you know how Hollywood celebrities maintain their beautiful skin and keeping it soft, smooth and manageable?

The answer: Moisturizer!

Moisturizing must be a daily habit in any season whether that is winter, spring, summer or fall. When you get up in the morning, apply moisturizer all over your body. If you are using facial or body moisturizers, it is advisable that you use the thick ones on winter season. Keeping a lotion on your bag or on your purse is also a must so you can apply it anytime, anywhere.

So if you want to have a celebrity-like skin even on winter days, all you have to do is moisturize.