Cold Weather Skin Care Tips

Photo by Fezbot2000 on Unsplash/

My friends laugh at me when I say that I am cold and have turned on my heat. They say it's not cold, it's a crisp fall day. Nah, it's cold. When I go home (down south) my friends say, "You come from Chicago, you can't be cold" "Ah yep. I am. Real cold actually"

I am not a fan of the cold. Periodt! I don't like the bulk of coats, hats or scarves. I don't like snow and can do without a white Christmas thank you very much.

When I lived in Mobile, Alabama all of those years, I was just fine with Christmas Day being 75-80 degrees. When I go home now for Christmas, I am super excited that I don't have to wear a coat and that the sun is shining brightly on Christmas Day. I actually get a little irritated if it is not.

Yes, this January born girl, absolutely hates cold weather. So when the weather gets to anything under 60 degrees, I am not a happy camper.

One reason for my dislike of cold weather is that my skin is extremely dry. I mean super dry. It always has been. At the first sign of chill my skin does its own thing. The lotions and creams I have been using during warmer weather no longer work. My skin sucks them up like it's asking me now what you got. It is so frustrating. It reminds me of when I first moved back to Chicago in the 80's. I had lived down south for years and my skin was not ready for the December cold.

I mean nothing worked until jokingly my mother said one Sunday morning, "Just put a little bacon grease on" We all laughed, but later on after everyone had left the kitchen I did just that. I admit it. I put bacon grease on my legs...and guess what? Yep, it worked. My skin was glowing and it lasted. Not like the other lotions and creams which only worked for about 30 minutes or so.

Well even though bacon grease worked, I was not going to go around smelling like breakfast all day. That led me on my search to find things that would really work for my skin. And it has been a chore, because what seems to be popular and work for others does not work for me at all.

After years of trial and error, I have found what works for me. Coconut oil, Olive Oil and Vaseline sometimes combined does the trick. Sometimes I even add Shea Butter to the mix. I'm getting ready to look into Essential oils. (Who knows I may create my own product for extremely dry skin.) You would think with all of those oily products, I would be pretty greasy. But nope. I sometimes have to apply a couple of times depending on just how cold Chicago is on a given day.

I thought I would share a few of my tips with you if you are bothered with dry skin during the winter months give them a try.

• Keep moisture in the air - Using a humidifier is a good way to add moisture. Especially if you turn those thermostats up to keep the house nice and toasty.

• Change products - Switch to gentler products during the cold winter months.

• Stop with the hot showers and baths - This is a bummer for me. I love hot baths. I mean I have the water so hot that I have to ease into the tub. But this is definitely drying and will dehydrate your skin.

• Moisturize more often - Like me, you might have to apply your moisturizer several times a day. Depending on your skin and just how cold the weather is.

• Use cream instead of lotion - lotions are not as thick so they are not as moisturizing.

• Avoid fragrances in your products. They can irritate and dry out skin.

• Before bathing try rubbing body oils on your skin. Coconut oil is good and can hydrate your skin and protect your barrier before getting into a warm bath

Since we have already started having more consistent cool days, I have started my cold weather skin routine. I hope my tips help you.