Facing Dry Skin?

Happy winter everyone! In a few short days, it's official. Winter brings such beauty and wonder. Some of my favorite things are associated with this time of year: snow, the holidays and festivities, warm, cozy fires, hot coco and rich coffee, warm sweaters, thick coats and big scarves. I love winter! But there is one thing I don't love, and that's dry skin. If you're like me, I have to get prepared for the cold season, particularly in northern climates. I stock up on my favorite products now not only for me, but for my daughter as well, as she has proven to have her mama's sensitive skin. In order to keep the dry, chapped, cracked, and parched lips and face at bay, I rely on some tried and true faves. So if you want to learn how to keep your skin--and your baby's skin--moisturized and hydrated this time of year, read on to learn how I do it the natural way!
It's simple: lots of external hydration AND internal hydration. That means fabulous, organic, cruelty-free moisturizers, organic, natural oils and loads of good drinking water. Ready to prepare some beautiful skin? Here's my recipe:

1. A good, thick buttery face cream like this Nutrient Moisturizer from one of my favorite all-organic

skincare lines, Juice Beauty. Their tinted moisturizer in Sand is fabulous too. I apply this morning and night, or anytime after I shower. I love it, and I have one in my cart to purchase as I type this! For me, it can't be too buttery. I often even go for night creams during the day because they tend to be richer. Some of you may have oilier skin, so just be aware, although if the product is really excellent and there is nothing synthetic, it shouldn't cause a problem. Overly oily skin and acne tend to be signs that something else is going on. Your skin is a storyteller. If you suffer from eczema, acne, or other skin conditions, take a look at your diet and consider the possibility of food allergies as well. I know plenty of people, myself included, who get breakouts and other skin problems from eating things that don't agree with us. A lot of skin problems can be cleaned up when you get to the root of the problem. And the root, of course, is beneath the surface. Now, moving on...

2. To that rich, buttery skin cream I add straight, organic, non-synthetic vitamin e! You should be able to find one easily at your local health food store. Be sure to read the label for quality, because it matters! If it's particularly cold outside and my skin is feeling the impacts, I use vitamin e more often. If not, I stick to the nighttime regimen. I use what's left after applying it to my face, to rub on my lips and hands.

3. For particularly dry, chapped spots of skin, like my daughter's cheeks in the winter, I use a really high quality Calendula salve or cream. You can get it in another lotion, like a baby lotion, or just as a straight salve, which I tend to use and apply directly in its concentrated form. There are a variety of Calendula creams from Vitacost (a great site for discounted health products and even food!), so get whichever appeals to you most. Straight salves are going to be the most concentrated, versus a lotion with Calendula. Regardless, Calendula is great for healing a number of things: cuts, scrapes, chapped skin and lips, chicken pocks, even diaper rash, and it's a wonderful product to have on hand, especially with kids! I have used this on Noëlle countless times in her 20 months. And I use it regularly on her cheeks in the winter.

4. Drink a lot of water! Hydrating from the inside has major impacts on the skin. Skip the soda (especially diet) and juice, and just stick with water, coconut water, or unsweetened tea. Of course I love my coffee too :) But I am always aware of my hydration level. But there is more to just drinking more water: I have talked before about the importance of having a really good filter on your home water supply; it's really important. Municipal water quality is very poor, especially considering all the prescription drugs that are unable to be filtered out by their methods, on top of the lead, aluminum, mercury, chlorine, and other hazardous substances found in varying quantities in city water. And how about dissolved toilet paper? Yummy! You can see why it's important that you get a really high quality filter that can get everything you want it to get OUT OF YOUR WATER. For more information you can message me here or on my Crunchy Chic Facebook page, and I can share some options for filters with you. And don't go for distilled--distilled water is primarily for use in appliances, as it's had all of the minerals taken out of it through a steam distillation process. The process may take out impurities, but ultimately it doesn't make the water better for us, because it's entirely depleted of important minerals. And please skip the plastic bottles. They are hard on the environment--both to make and break down--and most plastics leach into the water. Put your filtered water right into a glass drinking jug! I am fortunate to live with well water from our own source in the ground, and we have a filter on it as well. But if you live in the city, be sure to look into filters NOW!

5. My last tip is--honestly, as weird as it sounds--don't wash your skin too much. And for heaven's sakes, in the words of my fabulous midwife who helped me deliver my daughter, "PLEASE don't give your baby a bath everyday." Babies don't get dirty, not the way we do. It's sufficient at the end of each day to take a warm wash cloth and wipe her face, wipe her hands and neck, and then her bottom. There is no need to subject her to the drying, disrupting process of a daily bath. It actually isn't the healthiest thing for her. I will save some of this for another post, but long story short, there is a purpose to the bacteria and the oils that reside on your skin, and every time you wash, not only do you dry out your skin (which signals your body to make MORE oil!) but you disrupt the bacteria ecosystem, which can actually leave your skin prone to MORE problems. And it doesn't just impact your skin--part of your body's immune defense system is your skin's bacteria. It's important that the bacteria is allowed to do its work, especially for a new baby. Bacteria that lives in harmony on and in your body is really an ally, and an important one. That said, practice good hygiene--that goes without saying. But ever since Noëlle was born, we used baths sparingly and as-needed, opting instead to just wipe down key areas at the end of each day with a warm wash cloth. Full baths were reserved for once a week until she was about a year old. Since then we have upped it to two baths weekly, three at most. And after each one, I carefully apply organic shea butter with lavender to keep her nice and moisturized! And when needed--which is much more lately, this time of year--her Calendula cream.

I hope this helps, I know it does for us. Please let us all know if you have some favorite tricks and tips to share. I am always open to learning more! If you want to get a dialogue going, find me on my Crunchy Chic Facebook page and drop me a line!

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays!