Between the (surprisingly) dry weather here in Seattle and pregnancy, winter has done a number on my skin. Normally I’m fairly oily skinned but I’ve noticed a sharp change to much dryer skin in the past 5 or so months. Dry skin on my face and body as well as very chapped lips have left me a bit in a pickle since I never really had to deal with dryness before. However as the chief beauty editor here at Northwest Blonde, I’ve found some solutions that I wanted to share with you ladies if you are struggling with extra dry skin this winter. Here are three ways I’m keeping my skin hydrated this winter.
I’ve Embraced Facial Oils
As someone who has struggled with oily skin for years, adding more oil to my face seemed really counterintuitive. However, contrary to my original thoughts, adding a facial oil has been incredibly nourishing for my skin. I use a facial oil as part of my regular nightly skincare routine and have been impressed with the results: less redness, less acne, much more hydration.
WHAT PRODUCTS I USE:
I’ve tried both the Tarte Maracuja Oil and the Josie Maran Argan Oil. Overall I like them both equally but for slightly different reasons. The Tarte Maracuja Oil feels lighter on the skin once you’ve applied it so it was great in the warmer months and for transitioning from a night cream to oil. The Josie Maran Argan Oil feels heavier on the skin but has been ideal for drier skin during the winter months. I also like that Josie Maran is clean skincare and includes vitamin E. It also comes in a ‘Light’ version which may be comparable to the Tarte Maracuja oil while being a clean alternative.
WHAT I’M TRYING NEXT
I’m interested in trying the Josie Maran Argan Oil ‘Light’ to see if my hypothesis about the comparison to the Tarte oil is true. You can find small 1.7oz travel sizes of this face oil at Sephora so you can test it out without spending a lot on a new to you product. I’m also interested in trying the BeautyCounter Brightening face oil. I’m about to lose my “pregnancy glow” and replace it with sleepless nights so I can use any additional help I can get. This BeautyCounter face oil was an Allure magazine winner so it’s probably a nice option. I’ve also heard amazing things about the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery concentrate. However, the price point is making me wait (and wait and wait) on this option.
I’m Layering Products
Since I’m looking for maximum moisture more nights, I’ve been experimenting with layering different products. This generally includes one oil and one heavy lotion. I start with applying moisturizer to my entire body after the shower, letting it soak in and absorb, then topping off with a body oil on my driest areas. For me this means my legs and arms are getting the full treatment but I’ve also been doing this on any areas where I’m concerned about stretch marks at this point in my pregnancy (belly, breasts, hips)
WHAT PRODUCTS I USE:
The concoction that I’ve been using includes pure shea butter on days when my skin is REALLY dry followed by my Honest Company Body oil. This combination is generally only a once a week situation, otherwise I use Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lotion followed by the Honest Body oil. I also use all three products on their own if I’m not needing maximum hydration with the Honest Body Oil being my favorite.
I’m Sticking to Clean Skincare
If you haven’t read, I’ve started the transition to clean and non-toxic skincare over the past several months. This has helped clear out some of my regular breakouts and dryness that I normally deal with in the winter. Before I got pregnant, my skin type was quite oily but I’d still struggle with flakey dry patches occasionally. Now that my skin is completely dry, I was worried that flaky patchy problem would only get worse. However I’ve found that the non-toxic skincare products have helped a great deal. Specifically the Beauty Counter Adaptive Moisture Lotion. This is a light daytime moisturizer that adjusts to the moisture levels your skin needs throughout the day. Aka buh-bye weird patchy problems areas.
Another change that I noticed was when I ran out of some of my clean products was that my skin didn’t react the same to the old standbys. That is to say, when I used my old night moisturizer in a pinch, my skin broke out. I haven’t had many breakouts throughout my pregnancy and once I reupped on my clean products, the breakouts vanished again. I’d like to say that it was all in reaction to what I was putting on my skin.
You can read more about how to transition to clean skincare without breaking the bank here.
What are your winter skin struggles? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
Ana Luiza
