Fall is setting in and that means less humidity in the air, which can leave your skin feeling dryer than it has been in the past few months. That isn't the only thing that is going to contribute to dry skin, as the weather gets colder there is central heating, hotter chlorinated water for showers, and then soap. If you are the average person that purchases your toiletries from the local pharmacy or grocery store then you are unknowingly stripping your skin of all its natural oils with harsh detergents and then if you use commercial body lotion you are apply a layer of petroleum with harsh fragrances. You may feel squeaky clean and smell good but you are destroying your skin and are most likely feeling dry and itchy halfway through the day.
Many of the commercial products advertise using natural oils and vitamins but these are at an extreme minimum. I was taught in college that mineral oil which is a petroleum product, leaves a barrier over the skin which does help to prevent moisture loss, but that same barrier prevents any nutrients from getting into the skin so you may as well just use plain old Baby oil or Vaseline. If that works for you then great! But you'll be sticky and mess up your clothes. So companies use all types of chemicals to prevent that from happening, and then add synthetic fragrance which can give many people dry skin or even worse, headaches and allergies.
There are so many products on the market now sold in natural health shops that do not use all these harmful ingredients, but instead use natural plant based oils and vitamins that will not only moisturise your skin but nourish it. They are scented or unscented. And just like your typical commercial brands they also come in a wide range of prices according to quality and ingredients. So you really don't have to spend a lot if you don't want to.
Here are some things that I do, I have a couple of favourite body lotions that I use all year round. In the summer I can use them as they are from the bottle, but come fall into winter I add a tablespoon or so of cold pressed castor oil or grape-seed oil into the bottle and give it a good shake. Some women I know like to use other natural oils, but I find the ones I suggested don't have a heavy smell or feel.
The same goes for natural body wash, you'll have to read the ingredients. There are many on the market made with healthy plant based oils such as Green Beaver or Dr. Bronner's Castille soap.
If you really want to avoid dry skin as you get older then only use the soap on your parts that really need soap and use a rough scrubby like a plastic or natural loofah of some sort on the rest of your body. You can use lower priced hair conditioner from the health shop to shave your legs, which also leaves skin soft. I also use a sugar scrub that I make myself with grape-seed oil, this leave my skin feeling super soft. When I have time I take baths with a bit of coconut oil and essential oil for stress release, this is really relaxing and leaves my skin feeling moist especially if I give it a good scrub while in the bath, then use the body lotion after I get out. Many people don't take baths because they say they don't have time, but seriously you only need to have 10 mins in that bath to end up feeling great for having done it.
The other thing you can do to keep your skin moist is to limit your alcohol and coffee consumption and drink more water. Drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink or coffee you have. Drink water throughout the day or herbal tea.
You can also try ingesting Flax seed or coconut oil at least one tablespoon a day, there are so many ways to get these into you. Then there is Borage oil, it comes in capsules, this is known to create soft healthy skin.
These are just a few ways that you can enjoy healthy soft skin at different times of the year and in life. As we age we need to put a bit more effort into this so it becomes a habit. But starting with avoiding commercial products is a very good step forward.
Send me an email if you need some help with any of this, I'd be happy to hear from you.
Your wellness is my business.
Brenda Bell
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