Ok, so I didn’t want to stray too far from my typical content. So I wanted to put together a “simple” post on winter skincare tips.

I’d say the biggest difference these days is…I just know more. No, I don’t claim to be any type of expert. Just someone who’s been overly-interested in skincare and products for awhile now and has researched and talked the sh*t out of the topic with a lot of different people.

At 33, I hate being called ma’am. I cringe the hardest when the young guy at the bakery calls me it at least 3x while taking my order. Maybe it’s society’s fault for promoting impossible beauty standards and the unrealistic expectation to stay young looking (aka to stay a “miss”) forever? Regardless, my goal is to encourage as best I can something my Mom once said to me when I was frantically talking about getting botox before my wedding (side note, I didn’t get it then…but I have tried it since – which is a post for another day) which is to Age Gracefully. Which to me is one part acceptance and coming to peace with it and another part doing something about it in a way that doesn’t make you crazy or break you down. Oh yea, and ensuring you’re doing it for you and not because anyone else is making you feel like you need to.

Now ladies (and gents) with that I give you some winter skincare tips that will aid in our quest to age gracefully (and comfortably!) while also doing our best to combat the woes of dull, dry, patchy winter skin:

1. Good hydration is key. Sounds obvious? Well, get on board (says the girl who still struggles to do this everyday). As much as you can, opt for room temperature or warm beverages in the colder months which are easier for your body to process. herbal teas, warm water with lemon, golden milk (recipe to follow), plain H2O. Hydrating the inside, shows on the outside!
   • My fave container for transporting warmer drinks = Lifefactory’s 16 oz Glass Coffee Travel Mug
   • Avoid at all costs soda, especially diet. Avoid juices and sports drinks (unless you’re sick and need the electrolytes!) which are too high in sugar. And more than 2 cups of coffee a day but if you’re going to do it get the good stuff AND forget about decaf which I’ve learned has more toxins than regular coffee due to the decaffeination process (ew!)
2. Humidifier at night. The air in our homes tends to get dry in the winter when the heat is pumping. Invest in and switch on a home humidifier each night. This will help put moisture in the air…good for many things, including keeping skin and sinuses more lubricated (aka not totally drying out)
3. More gentle wash, tone, moisturize routine. This doesn’t mean skipping retinols, glycolics or whatever “heavy lifters” you may use at night. It just means, be mindful that you don’t want to strip your skin with over-exfoliating or cleansing as most skin tends towards the drier side during the winter months
   • My current routine AM and PM for face and neck: Wash with Skinceuticals Gentle Cleanser ; Pat dry and using a cotton pad apply Thayer’s Alcohol-free Witch Hazel Toner (I love the Rose petal version) to soothe and also get rid of any excess makeup/dirt; Lastly, apply Skinceauticals Metacell Renewal B3  treatment and then Skinmedica’s Rejuvenative Moisturizer 
   • I’m also doing some other periodic but regular at-night and in-office treatments with an aesthetician for a bit more OOMPH. But again, post for another day 😉
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4. Get in a good sweat. This goes any time of year. But I know that it’s harder to get moving in the colder winter months. Find what works for you. Too cold to venture to the gym? There are some great on-demand fitness apps. My favorite right now is Yoga on Gaia which has a lot of different yoga and meditation content/classes on-demand (for a monthly membership fee). Sweating releases toxins from the body – which is good all around, including cleansing out our pores
5. Get your sleep. Again, another year round important factor. Sometimes I find myself unable to relax  after a long cold day. Find some thing(s) that work for you that puts you on a routine of getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Reading, meditation, aromatherapy, investing in comfy bedding, are just a few ways to tempt yourself into bed so that you can get the sleep your body (including your skin) needs to rest and rejuvenate