My health and beauty tips for winter

2 mins to read

In my experience, winter requires a slight tweaking of my health and beauty routine in order to feel and look as healthy as I did during the warmer months.

Nails hair and skin

In my experience, winter requires a slight tweaking of my health and beauty routine in order to feel and look as healthy as I did during the warmer months. Over the years, I've realised that this occurs fairly organically for me, as I gradually respond to the changes in my physical and emotional environment. Being a naturopath also helps me to know what it is my body might need at this time.

As I pondered what my winter self-care routine entails, I felt inspired to share some health and beauty tips for winter!

1. Beat the dry

My skin gets quite dry in winter. A combination of less humidity, hotter showers and constant coverage of my skin with clothing can leave me feeling a bit high and dry, so to speak. Being a sensitive skin type, these environmental conditions can increase the occurrence of eczema and contact dermatitis, and I need to take action to prevent these problems getting out of control.

Here's what I do:

use gentle, non-drying, unscented and natural soaps and shampoos
exfoliate my whole body once per week with an exfoliating mitt or brush
moisturise my whole body once per week with a plain natural oil such as almond or apricot
exfoliate my face with a gentle natural facial exfoliant once per week
switch my usual facial moisturising lotion for a more nourishing cream
moisturise my hands several times per day with a plain natural hand cream to prevent eczema or dermatitis outbreaks
avoid strong soaps and detergents
take evening primrose oil and fish oil daily to combat skin dryness and inflammation

2. Get outside and move about

I am aware that during winter I have less desire to set foot out the door. It is cold out there, and it is all too easy for me to be lulled into the comforts of the heater or a nice warm blanket.

Winter can be a useful time to be more introverted and reserved with our energy, but the right balance is important so that we don't end up feeling like sludge in skin.

Here's what I do to try to keep the balance:

Seek a little bit of sun whenever I can
Sun on our skin is important in maintaining vitamin D levels throughout winter, and it helps to keep our spirits high when things can get a bit grey.. literally..
Go for walks outside. Even if the weather is miserable, I try to get outside at least for just a little while every day. I find going for a walk is a good way to do this. Even if just for 5 or 10 minutes, it gets my body moving, shifts that sluggish feeling and clears my head. So, I rug up and take an umbrella if needed.

3. Keep the bulge at bay

I am at risk of both weight gain and digestive sluggishness during winter. Why? Because I tend to eat more as the weather gets cooler, and if I'm not careful, my fruit and vegetable intake can decline. Keeping my exercise routine up and running is important, and I tend to counteract the unmotivating cold weather with more time in the gym. It's warm, it doesn't matter if it's raining, and it can be a great way to interact with others in the more reclusive winter months.

Soups are a great healthy winter food choice, and can be nutritious, low in kilojoules and filling if they are made with the right ingredients. I work to counteract the bulge with soups containing an abundance of fresh vegetables and lentils, lean meats and tofu and I try to avoid creams and other fats. My digestion also thanks me when I make high fibre and low fat food choices.