Some of the questions that I have been asked about life in Norway are, “how do you take care of your skin?” or “What are your winter skin care tips?”
To be honest, that is a loaded question for me. I have struggled with my skin for my most of my life. I have always been fair and have sunburned easily, but that is just the beginning of it. My skin likes to take it’s sensitivity to extremes; for example I get welts on my face if I’m in cold and windy weather. Cold and windy weather pretty much encapsulates Norway’s winter. Perfect!
It took me years, and I mean, nearly 30 of them, to understand why my skin was so sensitive. I remember getting ready for a night out with my girlfriends in college, and as usual I was covering my skin in foundation and my friend asked me, “Why do you put all of that on?”
I told her it was because my “face gets red” which I discovered years later that it was because I have rosacea, or “the curse of the Celts.” (My ancestry confirmed I am all Irish, Scottish, and English, with a bit of Swedish). Thankfully, it is not that serious and more so of an inconvenience that I have learned how to manage.
Over the years, I have spent a small fortune on finding skincare that actually works for me and doesn’t cause a flare up. If it said it was for sensitive skin, I have probably tried it. So my answer to how I take care of my skin in the winter is a loaded one, but I have broken it down into 3 simple steps! I included a couple of my favorite products, but you can substitute with what works for you
My Top 3 Winter Skin Care Tips
1. Exfoliate
Exfoliating is so important. It gives your skin a glow by removing that dry flaky skin, and it preps your skin for your products. Be an eco-concious shopper and avoid scrubs made with micro-beads, aka tiny pieces of plastic that end up in the oceans.
My absolute favorite product to use for exfoliating is the Rodan + Fields Microdermabrasion scrub. It is a sugar salt scrub with vitamins and goodness added. It gives my face a clean slate, and depending on how dry your skin is, you can use it 1-3 times per week. You can find it here.
For my body, I make a homemade sugar scrub of 50% sugar and 50% oil: coconut or olive. You can add a few drops of essential oils if you would like to make it smell yummy, but make sure you are using therapeutic grade oils since they will be going on your skin. I like the ones by Young Living. Be sure to use the body scrub on your lips once a week also – it helps keep them from getting too chapped!
2. Moisturize and Hydrate
Moisturizing your skin is so important during the cold, dry, and unforgiving months of winter. There are skin moisturizers and there are skin hydrators. Both will work for this purpose, and if your skin is really dry you can use them simultaneously. My personal go to is Soothe from Rodan + Fields because it is formulated for people with sensitive skin, including rosacea. You can find it here.
There are a lot of great products available though, so you just need to find one that you love and you believe is worth the investment of your time and finances.
Don’t forget about your body, lips, and feet. They all need to be moisturized also.
3. Lifestyle
So okay, yes, this one feels like a trick question. Maybe a pop quiz. Or a sneaky sneak. Or a bamboozled. Well, it’s an important one. Your lifestyle choices will affect your skin. This means washing your face with good products every single day, not smoking, being mindful of being in direct sunlight and taking precautions such as using SPF and bringing a big floppy hat to the beach. I have literally hid under a towel at the beach when I feel my skin getting too hot. Yeah, I’m loads of fun. BUT, my skin thanks me for it. Also, drink lots of water. This is your reminder.
Let me know if these simple tips helped you generate a skin care plan for yourself, or share any of your other favorite winter skin care tips in the comments!
xo Kelly