The dreaded winter season…Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great reasons to love this time of year but for many of us it usually goes hand-in-hand with dry, itchy skin. Makes me miss those warm, humid summer months!
Thankfully, there are a number of ways you can combat dry skin and it starts by making a few changes to your daily routine. Spa Shiki esthetician and cosmetologist Nancy Gordon gives us her best tips, products and recommendations for healthier skin this winter season.
Ditch those summer products
If you are still using the same skin care products you do during the summer, it’s time to put them away. Your skin changes with the seasons so you need to switch to gentle cleansers and products that will re-hydrate the skin.
Eminence is an organic skin care line with the best moisturizers and serums to eliminate dry skin. The Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream will not only nourish your skin overnight, but it’s Anti-Aging Stem Cell Complex will also lead to a more youthful appearance. For the daytime the Eminence’s Coconut Age Corrective Day Cream, made with shea butter and grape seed oil, works on tightening and lifting. If you need a little extra hydration and protection, the Rosehip C & E Firming Oil is a great addition to your skin care regimen. It only takes a couple of drops! Believe me, I am religious about using these products, so I know why they are considered among the best!
Even though you may feel the need to reduce how often you wash your face to limit overdrying your skin, don’t. It won’t help. Spa Technologies has a line of gentle cleansers that help soothe the skin. The Lavender Cleansing Milk gets rid of impurities and makeup while and the Marine Gel Cleanser is a pH balanced seaweed-based foaming cleanser that has amazing anti-inflammatory properties. Both cleansers are affordable, under $30.
Consider a Clinical Treatment
Since your skin is getting less exposure to the sun than it does in the summer, now is the time of year to do a peel or microdermabrasion. By removing the layer of dead skin, this type of service allows the products you are using to better penetrate the skin. A microdermabrasion helps to brighten the skin, and increases collagen and elastin production. That all translates to flawless and younger looking skin!
You can also do a facial like the Age-Defying Peel, which tightens and exfoliates the skin. All clinical treatments at Spa Shiki are followed by a hydrating mask to lock in moisture.
To keep the skin bright and reduce pigmentation a recommended at-home product is the Sothy’s Retinol serum or Glysalac serum.
Warm up with a wrap
With just one of these services, you’ll be left with smooth, glowing skin! The Himalayan Salt Exfoliation & Detox Wrap both exfoliates and detoxifies. As an added bonus, the treatment includes the use of a warm Far Infrared blanket that will help your body absorb the 84 trace minerals found in the Himalayan salt and will sooth sore muscles and joints — which are often a side effect of the cold weather.
The Organic Seaweed Wrap is also a great way to nourish the skin, and also includes the use of the warming blanket. You’ll be wrapped up tight and left to enjoy the heat as the products absorb into the skin, working their magic.
Skin Care Don’ts
You might be tempted to draw a nice hot bath at the end of the day but hot showers and baths (especially prolonged ones) strip away your skins’ natural oils. Try to limit your time in the tub, and as soon as you get out, moisturize. Spa Shiki’s Laminaria Oil is an intense treatment that can be used all over your body. Made of seaweed oil and Spirulina oil it provides antioxidant production and is gentle for all skin types. It would also help to use a sugar scrub in the shower to remove excess dry skin.
Have a Spa Day
What better way to spend a cold, snowy day that at the spa? If you just aren’t sure what product or treatment to try, any of the spa’s trained professionals can help point you in the right direction. Just tell them what you are looking for and they’ll deliver. While you are getting a treatment, make sure to plan enough time to enjoy the spa’s many amenities (like the steam room). You will forget all about what the temperature is outside.
Spa Shiki is located at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark. For more information about the spa, for a complete list of specials, and to book your appointment, go to www.spashiki.com.
