Sure, you may worry about your dry, itchy face in the winter, but what about the rest of your body? Just because it’s mostly covered up doesn’t mean you should neglect it. To conclude the Cut’s week on winter beauty hacks, we rounded up five easy fixes to make your body look and feel its absolute softest.
1. Change Your Sheets
You’re fussy about the fabric in clothes, but what about the fabric you sleep in every night? Your bed sheets should be comfortable and not itchy. This is especially important in the winter, when your skin is more prone to dryness and irritation. For a comfortable night’s rest, follow what people with eczema do: shop for sheet sets made from 100 percent natural cotton. Synthetic blends are often processed in irritating chemicals. If you can afford it, buy a silk set, which is looks just as luxurious as it is beautiful.
2. Get Out of the Shower
Ah! A long, hot shower hits the spot on a cold winter morning, but you’re going to need to try your hardest to resist. It turns out that those long, hot showers zap moisture from your skin. The solution is pretty obvious: shorten your shower time and turn down the temperature. If you absolutely insist on a hot one, at least add an in-shower lotion to your routine to compensate.
3. Use Lotion Better
Chances are high that you’re moisturizing incorrectly. It will feel weird, but slap on lotion immediately after your shower, while your skin is still damp. The hydrating ingredients bind to the water on your skin to absorb more effectively. And then don’t stop there! To really maximize your lotion, top off with a splash of oil. Oils aren’t moisturizing on their own, but they trap lotion onto your skin, thus prolonging their hydrating magic.
4. Buy These Weird Socks
Have you tried the life-changing innovation known as lotion socks? They are squishy and not particularly fashionable, but man are they moisturizing. The ones from Earth Therapeutics feel like little clouds on your feet, and as you wear them around your home, they deposit small amounts of vitamin E and aloe on your feet. They aren’t a substitute for a lotion or cream, but they make a very comfortable complement to either one.
5. Get Bougie and Mist Yourself
By now you know that a little water helps lotion ingredients better adhere to your skin. That’s easy to navigate after your morning shower, but in the middle of the day you’ll need to be a little more creative. Before you slather on hand cream, or treat your dry elbow at your desk, spritz the body part you plan to moisturize with a water mist first. The water will amplify the lotion’s moisturization ability. Who cares if you look a little wacko? You’ll have the softest skin in the building.
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