Oh boy!
Winter blues come right along with the struggle of winter skin.
When I first moved to this country and experienced a real winter for the first time, I was shocked at how dry and yucky my skin became in the cold weather. Even though there are other things about the winter that can get me blue, my skin is not one of them. I decided early on that for me to feel good in the winter, I had to take care of my skin.
If you struggle with dryness (winter or not) or even if you feel it more in the winter, then know that you are struggling with an overloaded liver. Eating too much fat, which is a surprise to some people, can actually make your skin even drier, according to Anthony William, Medical Medium from his book Thyroid Healing. This happens if your liver is already sluggish with viral toxins or you have a fatty liver from eating a lot of fat all our lives.
It has taken me years to get that when I keep my fat low in the winter, my skin does a lot better. I know that in the beginning trying to keep fat low is against our instincts of wanting more fat in the colder weather. However, I did not want to feel worse in every way in the winter, so watching my fat intake became a key factor.
I have eventually figured out how to have more comfortable skin in the winter and it really long term depends on the health of your liver. If you are still in the midst of your healing and the skin is still uncomfortable, there are lots of things you can do to support it and obtain more comfort.
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Here are my top recommendations for healthy winter skin:
1. Drinking aloe water daily. Aloe is amazing rejuvenating the skin because it keeps the gut moving and the liver cleansing really well. You will notice a big difference in your skin with regular aloe in your diet. Plus applying aloe to the skin especially in dry patches is super helpful.
2. Eating low fat. This can be hard at first, but with commitment and planned meals, you can totally do this. Many of you have purchased my cleanses, there are lots of low/ no fat options in there. If you would like to get support for eating this way, please check out the DIY Intuitive Cleanse Program – 7 Video Part Series. This is great for helping you plan your low-fat meals, so you can get through the winter in the healthiest way possible.
3. Eating watermelons or drinking watermelon juice regularly. Watermelons or any kind of melon cleanses the blood and provides deep hydration to the cells. Other foods that provide hydration include coconut water, cucumber juice and fresh apple juice. Keeping good hydration going into the body during the cooler months, is essential because we can get too dehydrated from cooked foods, fats, heat, and warm drinks and teas.
4. Eating papaya daily in the winter. Papaya is essential for good skin because it keeps the gut healthy. You will continue to move your bowels throughout the winter when due to viral toxins, our guts can become more sluggish. According to Medical Medium papaya is anti-aging and has ‘fountain of youth’ properties for your skin. He says ‘not only can it help your skin glow, but it can also remove psoriasis, eczema and acne’ from his book Life Changing Foods.
5. Dry Brushing your skin to move the lymph as well as to remove the dead skin layers and bring more oxygen and circulation to the dermis. You can purchase a dry brush here.
6. Using Herbal Body Food body butter before and after every shower. This prevents the surface from drying out any more than it needs to with a warm or hot shower. It is critical to apply it before, so your skin does not dry out too much in the shower, and also immediately after you come out, while your skin is still moist. This captures moisture into the top layer of the skin. Even though dry skin is a problem that emanates from within the body, these measures can provide a lot more comfort.
7. For a dry scalp, I like to use Blue Rose Scalp Treatment. And to keep your hair shining, you can try the Blue Rose Silica Spray. Karen’s products are truly amazing and she calls herself the Hair Shaman. She really is!!!
My top recommendations for face care (my personal daily face care routine):
1. I start with spritzing Living Libations Frankincense Face Mist on my face every morning.
2. After spritzing the mist on my face, I apply the Rose CoQ10 Serum to get my skin ready for the day. This serum is not only great for dry skin, it is highly anti-aging and adds a glow to your skin.
3. Then I use a squirt of the Living Libations Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever. This is one of the most medicinal Best Skin Evers. There are many different scents and flavors of this amazing elixir. For incredible winter skin, I really recommend the one which has super-critical extracts of Seabuckthorn Essential oils that again, are incredible for glowing skin.
4. I follow this with the Rose Creme. This helps to keep the moisture in the skin for a while.
5. Once a week, I use Anne Marie Gianni’s Kaolin Skin Exfoliant to bring more blood flow to the face and also to slough off any dead skin. Before I apply this, I will put a squirt of the Rose Serum on my face so the exfoliant does not feel too harsh on my skin (it is not harsh at all, but for those who are more sensitive, like me, I use the serum or you can use another face oil first). If you have dry chapped winter lips, you can even use a teeny tiny amount of the exfoliant on your lips too. But ALWAYS use an oil on your lips first.
6. Then I apply Anne Marie Gianni’s Coconut Honey Mask. This is an incredibly HYDRATING mask and always leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth. If you do not wish to buy a product, you can easily use raw honey on your skin for the same effects.
7. And another quick hack to help with dryness especially if you cannot purchase products is to simply use part of a filleted aloe leaf and rub the aloe gel all over your face. It is an incredible support for winter skin. I keep an aloe plant in every bathroom so I can use a little every day. The humidity in the bathroom keeps the plants thriving!
I would love to hear from you about your skincare routine for the winter.
What do you do? What really works for you? From the list above, what would you love to try?
Tell me in the comments below!!!
20 thoughts on “Dry Winter Skin! What To Do?”
Hi Muneeza,
My daughter of 20 months has dehydrated skin so we can see many lines under her eyes and forehead. I follow whole food plant based diet for her . What else can I do to support her? Please advise.
Shriti adding in silica and water rich foods like aloe and cucumber can help! Make sure overall that she is well hydrated.
If you would like more focused and in-depth support, please consider joining our Membership Community: https://muneezaahmed.com/intuitive-healing-community/ (we have a very special offer that runs out in a couple of days!)
Dear Muneeza, I started using some these products, but now AW warns against using essential oils and oils on the skin. I understand one should just use a tiny bit and wipe off the excess if one use it on one’s skin, but is there any moisturizer that AW recommends for hands and face? Thank you.
Laila I would not put a LOT of essential oils on your skin but a couple of drops here and there that won’t transfer over into your clothes, bedding and towels. I have used essential oils for years in a conservative way, and this is the right way to use them.
What are your thoughts on retinol for anti-aging? I see it’s in the Honey Aloe Cream that Anthony William recommends on his personal care list.
Muneeza thank for this great post! Your words and insights are always so helpful to me. I was wondering if you have any recommendations for natural makeup products? It’s so hard to find makeup that does a good job and isn’t filled with junk. Love and thanks
Thanks Alexis! I am glad this resonated for you. My natural makeup recommendations are in my greening your home guide. Please do check there.
You mentioned the aloe plant inthe bathroom. Can u take a small amount each day or must an entire leaf be removed.
No just a small bit.
Im curious – you didn’t mention a face wash product or this step in your daily routine. Do you wash your face with a cleanser or skip this step?
Thank you!
I don’t wash my face at all. i use the Living Libations Best Skin Ever to cleanse/ moisturise/ tone all in one step. No need to wash in fact the less the better.
Wow such great information and support- thank you
Thank you!
Do you worry about getting aloe plants that are organic? I haven’t been able to find them in my area. And I too LOVE all Annmarie products! Feels like I’m putting a little love on my face since the products are made with quality ingredients and such wonderful people!
Aloe is a wild plant, so it grows in the wild and does not have to be organic. Am glad you love Anne-Marie.
The link to the rose products are not working
Thank you! We fixed it, Brooke!
I love using the cocokind organic rose water spray, fresh aloe, and the pomegranate seed oil listed on Anthony’s self care recommendations 🙂 such life savers! Definitely want to give the products you recomended a whirl, I have super sensitive skin and am still recovering from rosacea/Eczema… so I have to be careful and use everything very lightly. Thank you for sharing Muneeza! Blessings and light
Thank you for sharing Amber. Yes all those items you talk about are also some of my favourites.
Is the cocokind rosewater spray the same as the skin toner?