Your BFF (Beauty Find Friday): Springing Back from Winter

Woman with Flowers Photo via Shutterstock

Fact: last season’s temperatures went down and your skin dried up. But through proper care, winter’s woes melt away, and you’ll spring back beautifully.

But first you have to face facts. “Thick skinned” might be a good personality trait, but not when it comes to your face. Winter brought just that—thick patches of dead cells that dull your complexion. We have three words for you: exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. It’s the key to supporting cell turnover, which promotes healthier-looking skin after a harsh winter.

Stronger skin can tolerate microdermabrasion to rid itself of the nasty winter flakes. Sensitive faces should have the mantra “exfoliation without irritation” through enzyme or fruit acid peels. And too much of a good thing is just that—too much. Never over-exfoliate. Twice a week should do the trick, or you’ll rob your skin of the moisture it’s trying to keep. A few of our favorites: La Prairie Cellular Mineral Face Exfoliator (available at Nordstrom, $130) and Ole Henriksen Power Peel (available at Sephora, $45). Or pull out the big guns and go pro. Local spas like SkinDeep Med Spa (which offers an amazing microdermabrasion) and Bella Sante (with its wide variety of chemical peels) offer just what your face needs right now. To keep things fresh, try the Clarisonic Sonic Radiance Brightening Solution once a week. The evening renewing peel wash combines 0.2% LHA and 3.5% Glycolic Acid, while the brush does the amazing gentle scrubbing Clarisonic is famous for.

The same principle of sloughing off dullness also goes for the rest of you. For a dewy glow, choose a dissolving scrub (sugar or salt work best) and rub in gentle circles onto dry skin before hitting the shower. It’s a three-fold result—your body drinks in moisturizers better, hair removal goes smoother, and faux tanning products will be more even. Slather on the moisturizer after your shower when your skin is still a bit moist. If you want to skip the scrub, let the lotion do the work for you by choosing a moisturizer with an AHA to get rid of the rough stuff.

Now it’s time to address winter’s hair scare. Hair guru Frederic Fekkai once told us, “cold weather dries out hair, so it’s important to change your regimen or at least alter it a bit once warmer weather approaches. Treat your hair the same way you treat your skin when the weather changes.” Switch things up with a moisturizing shampoo and lavish locks in a deep conditioning hair mask weekly to rejuvenate the hair. This will help restore strength to weak, brittle strands that winter weather may have caused.

With these tips, you can say goodbye to winter skin and turn into a truly blushing bride.

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