Cold temperatures + bracing wind + dry air = the perfect recipe for dry skin and brittle hair.
Winter self-care doesn't have to be complicated: These natural tips for healthy skin and hair will help you navigate the coldest months of the year.
How to Prevent Dry Skin in Winter – Naturally
A wind chapped face, flaking nose, and itchiness: We all know the dreaded signs of winter. Try these tips to avoid dry skin in winter.
1. Keep Yourself Covered
From the great outdoors to office commutes, wearing multiple layers is crucial for protecting skin against the elements.
2. Use Sunscreen
Winter sunburn can really cause dry, wind chapped faces. Before heading out the door, apply a moisturizing mineral sunscreen – something that should already be part of your daily routine!
3. Avoid Hot Showers
After spending time in frigid temps, the idea of a hot shower probably sounds inviting. However, hot showers can quickly strip the body’s natural oils from the skin’s outermost layer (also known as transepidermal water loss).
During winter months, turn the tap down for a healthier shower routine.
4. Consider a Moisturizing Bath
For super-dry skin, one of our favorite winter dry skin remedies is a warm bath (not hot). Dermatologists often recommend the anti-inflammatory properties of colloidal oatmeal or a spoonful of coconut oil in bathwater.
5. Choose a pH-Balanced Body Wash
Healthy skin has an ideal pH level of 5.4- 5.9 – and your skin products should reflect that. We're happy to announce that Puracy Natural Body Wash lands precisely at 5.5 on the pH scale.
Unfortunately, most soaps and body washes have high pH ranges (upwards of 9 or 10). And your skin might be extra irritated if you're using products with perfumes, sulfates, and other harsh ingredients.
6. Moisturize Immediately After Baths & Showers
Healthy skin is hydrated skin. After patting yourself dry, apply a natural moisturizer within the first 3 minutes of stepping out of the shower or bath.
With its 99.3% natural formula, our hypoallergenic Daily Face & Body Lotion infuses skin with rich, plant-based ingredients. No fragrances, silicones, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, petrochemicals, or nut-based ingredients: It's the ideal candidate for all-over moisture.
7. Buy a Humidifier
When heating systems are turned on, the air in your home expands and loses moisture content. If moisture isn’t added back into the air, you’re more likely to wake up with parched skin. The quickest fix? Run a humidifier with distilled water while you sleep.
There are, however, a few ways to increase the humidity in your home without a humidifier:
- After stepping out of a bath, allow the water to cool and evaporate before draining.
- Leave your bathroom door open when you take a shower.
- Instead of using a tumble dryer, hang up damp clothes and bedsheets.
- Place bowls of water next to your heat source(s).
- Run an essential oil diffuser with pure, distilled water.
- Let a full kettle or saucepan of water boil.
8. Drink More Water
We all know that dehydration causes dry skin and hair, but we tend to drink less water during colder months. You don't need to guzzle pitchers of freezing water: Up your daily intake by consuming tea and mugs of warm water.
9. Shave With Caution
Even the most routine of our grooming habits need to take into account colder weather. If you shave during the winter, be sure to allow your shaving cream enough time to moisturize your skin before using your razor. Afterwards, be sure the skin is well hydrated to avoid razor burn, especially when your face is exposed to the winter elements.
10. Get Your Vitamin C
With the dark winter months, your body will need its fair share of Vitamin C to boost your immune system amidst the cold and flu season. Vitamin C can also help benefit your skin, keeping it healthy and nourished. You can eat foods that are rich sources of Vitamin C. such as leafy vegetables and fruit, as well as natural topical products that contain the vitamin.
11. Choose Your Winter Wardrobe Wisely
Our skin is greatly affected by the clothes we wear, and if your skin is in constant contact with harsh material and fabrics, your skin can become dry and irritated. Instead, opt for natural fabrics, and wash them using a Natural Detergent that is specifically formulated for sensitive skin and allergies.
12. Skip the Tanning Bed
You may be tempted to hop into a tanning bed during the dark winter beds, but it's best to avoid it, especially if you are prone to dry skin. The exposure to such harsh light can damage skin, and there is also the increased risk of skin cancer when using tanning beds or artificial sun lamps.
13. Use Products with Natural Fragrances
Synthetic fragrances often contain chemically modified ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin, as well as aggravate allergies. Look for products with natural fragrances instead, featuring ingredients that are gentle on the skin like aloe vera and coconut oil. In fact, learn how natural fragrances are also more eco-friendly and better for the environment.
14. Avoid Scratching
If you do find yourself with dry skin, avoid relieving the itch through scratching. We know it’s hard to avoid the temptation, but scratching will only serve to further irritate your dry skin. Instead, you can control the itchiness using a natural moisturizer. Still no relief? The next step is to use a cold compress directly on the spot. See your dermatologist if the problem becomes serious.
15. Don't Forget Your Lips!
The cold winter months can be hard on your lips as well, so many of these tips also apply to preventing dry or chapped lips. Drinking water and sleeping with a humidifier can work wonders on your lips, as well as looking for natural, hydrating ingredients to keep them moisturized, such as shea butter, beeswax, and moringa oil.
How to Keep Hands Healthy in Winter
Hands tend to take the brunt of cold weather. Luckily, there are easy tips to avoid wind chapped hands in winter.
16. Wear Gloves Outside
Whether you’re shoveling, ice skating, or taking the dog for a walk, wear thick gloves or mittens whenever you’re outside.
17. Use Better Dish Soap
If you cook and clean regularly, you already know that hot water can do a lot of damage. Puracy Natural Dish Soap isn’t just effective on grime and grease: We've formulated this 99.41% natural product to be extra nourishing for skin. No gloves necessary!
18. Keep a Great Lotion "On-Hand"
Our fragrance-free Face & Body Lotion replenishes lost moisture, softens skin, and leaves zero residue behind. Consider stashing containers around the house (like in bedside tables and handbags) whenever you need a little pick-me-up.
How to Keep Hair Healthy in Winter
Most of us deal with frizz in colder months – but it's definitely possible to stop excess loss and static with these winter hair care home remedies.
19. Wash Your Hair Less Often
Shampooing tends to strip the scalp and follicles of necessary moisture, and most dermatologists agree that you probably don't need to do it every day. Consider washing your hair less frequently during the winter months.
FYI: Our Natural Shampoo & Conditioner were developed to increase the length of time between washes – up to 3 days!
20. Choose Sulfate-Free Shampoo & Conditioner
Additives like sulfates are known to remove the hair’s protective sebum and can also cause scalp irritation. We painstakingly formulated our pH-balanced hair care products to include plant-based ingredients that leave your scalp nourished and cleansed, never stripped.
21. Use Hair Masks
For the ultimate in deep-conditioning, try applying a natural hair mask before bedtime. During the day, a drop or two of sustainably-sourced argan oil is great for smoothing flyaways (without weighing hair down).
Pro Tip: Don't have a hair mask? Consider using your natural conditioner and covering with your preferred hair cover.
22. Get a Regular Haircut
Think of split ends like a piece of yarn: When they start "unraveling", they move up the hair shaft and cause visible damage. If your hair is trimmed every month or two, you'll remove broken hair and promote healthier growth.
23. Avoid Heat Styling Tools Whenever Possible
When it's freezing outside, a blow dryer is obviously an important tool to use. But if you’re struggling with breakage and split ends, towel-dry your locks as much as possible before breaking heat styling tools out.
24. Exfoliate with a Scalp Scrub
Cold weather or wet wintry mix can leave your hair limp and lifeless, but you can combat this with a weekly or bi-weekly Scalp Scrub. Scalp scrubs can soak up excess oil leftover from other hair products. Our version is formulated with essential amino acids which exfoliate your hair using natural ingredients like peppermint leaf oil, coco glycinate, and Himalayan sea salt.
25. Beware of Wet Hair Outdoors
In a rush? You may be tempted to skip drying your hair, but think again. If you're fresh from the shower, avoid walking outside to protect your fragile hair follicles. Wet hair is more susceptible to breakage, so be sure to at least air or towel dry it before setting foot outside. Your hair will thank you!
26. Look for Hair-Friendly Foods
Unfortunately, we can’t spend the entire winter in hibernation, and we need to keep our diet healthy for our hair and skin all season long. Not only does your diet affect your skin, but you can opt for foods that enrich your hair as well. Protein-rich food such as Greek yogurt, fish, and eggs encourage hair growth, as well as help keep your mane strong and healthy.
27. Brush Your Hair with Care
Brushing your hair may be such a normal part of your routine that you don't think twice when you do it. However, if you have dry hair, you may want to do so gently, especially immediately after a shower since wet hair is even more fragile. Look for a wide-toothed brush for the best results, and start with the tangles at the bottom of your hair first.
28. Switch Your Regular Towel for a Microfiber One
When it comes to towel drying your hair, some towel fabrics are harsh and only increase the amount of friction your hair is up against. Your best bet? A microfiber towel. These towels work wonders when it comes to wicking away fabric and absorbing moisture. In fact, you can use a microfiber towel for a number of other reasons besides your hair – discover more uses for them with our handy microfiber towel guide!
29. Wear Hats
If it's subzero and you've got dirty hair, hats are fashionable and functional this time of year. Just be sure to regularly wash your hats to reduce oil buildup!
30. Use a Dry Shampoo
A dry shampoo extends the life of your 'do, keeps you from "over washing", and doesn't require heat styling tools during the coldest months of the year. And the Puracy Dry Shampoo formula uses rice starch and charcoal to absorb oil while providing grit and texture – no limp strands here!
Puracy: The Easiest Way to Keep Hair & Skin Healthy
Whatever the season, a little TLC goes a long way. And when you choose our pH-balanced products, you've got everything you need to naturally replenish hydration (from head to toe). Whether it's our Natural Body Wash and Face & Body Lotion for your skin or our plant-powered Shampoo and Conditioner for your hair, you can count on our products to keep you nourished and refreshed all winter long. The best part? You don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals or ingredients. Instead, you’ll be treating your skin to gentle, effective natural ingredients that are especially formulated for the most sensitive skin.
