Winter, in HK, is the drier season!
There are some habits we can easily incorporate into our lives to make the best of it:
Add humidity to the air at home - place a simple diffuser in the middle of the house and add some water with 3-5 drops of essential oil of your choice to create a cheerful scent, lifting up your mood and the atmosphere at home. Some oil choices to start with are: Sweet orange, Lemon grass or Lavender, but there are of course many more.
If there are children around, you can add a few drops of essential oil of your choice to a bowl with some coarse salt and place it on a shelf. The salt absorbs the oil and releases its lovely aroma to the air.
Bath and shower - avoid harsh cleansers, that may potentially strip the skin of its natural oils.
Plant oils contain antioxidants, vitamins, protect against skin
damage, and help maintain a hydrated, healthy skin barrier.
Winter is the right time to replace your cleanser with a moisturizing one. A cleanser like a balm, oil, or hydrating cream is ideal for this season.
Use Lukewarm water when you shower. When too hot, water can disrupt your skin’s barrier function, leaving the skin vulnerable and more susceptible to dryness and irritation.
Once or twice a week, use a gentle body exfoliator (Salt scrubs combined with nourishing oils) to scrub your skin in the shower, this helps with shedding of dead cells and promotes the generation of new ones. The skin feels fantastic afterwards!
Keep your skin moist is vital - make sure your skin gets simple, good care regularly. Use some wonderful oil serums after cleansing or exfoliating to ensure that your skin stays always damp, soft, nourished and protected. The serums can be applied to your face or body skin. Make sure your chosen natural serum is made of plant oils (as opposed to mineral synthetic oil) that are rich with essential fatty acids to nourish your skin. After applying it in the evening before you go to sleep, you will wake up with a soft and nourished skin feel.
Keep your body hydrated - brew a wonderful mix of herbal infusion and keep it near you, covered, encouraging you sip it throughout the day. It can be warm or cold, at any time of day, just to make sure you are staying hydrated all day long. Many herbs are nourishing and are full of natural vitamins and minerals.
Some of my favorite mixtures are:
Lemon Grass + Ginger + Helichrysum flowers,
Calendula flowers + derided Orange peel + Anise stars
Elderberry + cinnamon + Echinacea (+ Ginger – optional)
Melisa leaves + Mint leaves + Dried Lemon slices
Licorice + Peppermint leaves (a unique sweet treat)
Have a wonderful winter!
