My skin has been screaming loudly from all of this cold air…whew!  Quite frankly, the winter season can be brutal for your skin. The cooler temps leave us seeking more moisture for our skin.

Now more than ever, we must have a ritual of proper skincare. This includes eating right, staying fit and staying hydrated during the cold winter months.

Skincare Tips for the Winter:

1. Moisturizer: Don’t skimp on your moisturizer especially in the winter. Apply moisturizer before makeup and at night before going to bed.

2. Exfoliation: Skin can become dry and chapped during the winter depending on how extreme your climate gets. Exfoliate twice per week with a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells that can become very scaly in the cold months.

3. Water Temps: Showering and/or washing your face in the winter time with hot water can be drying to the skin. Be conscious of this and use lukewarm water for no more than 10 minutes at a time. Apply moisturizers to the face and body while skin is still damp for maximum absorption.

Makeup Tips for the Winter:

1. Foundation: Our beautiful tans from the summer are fading by now. Remember to lighten the shade of your foundation because the skin tends to lighten up during the cold months.

2. Eyes: In the colder months, darker shades look great on the eyes, especially smoky shades. Eye shadow colors that look great include blacks, blues, browns, grays and greens. Winter is also a good time to use cream shadows which adds to the moisture of the skin.

3. Cheeks: During the winter, we can often skip on blush because the cold temps bring a rosy hue to our cheeks. However, with all of the holiday parties and family get-togethers, it’s okay to get a little jazzy and add a creamy shade of blush. Blush colors that are great for the winter include rich pinks and browns.

4. Lips: Lips are subject to getting chapped and cracked during the cold months. It is best to wear lip products with built-in moisturizers. Gloss should be moderately worn simply because of the increased winds; you can get in a bind with your hair being constantly stuck to your lips.

The only constant is change. So with that being said, winter won’t last forever. Take these simple precautions and enjoy this season of get-togethers with family and friends. Also it is the time of renewal as we are gearing up for the new year!