Do you love winter? I don’t. Actually, there’s a lot I like. But me and the cold weather is not on good terms. Specially my skin. Nonetheless, I have found my ways to deal with it. If you are on the same boat and looking for how to take care of your skin in winter naturally, I’m sharing some of the winter skin care tips with you, so that we can turn the cold weather into a possible friend, in sha Allah!

Here are my 5 essential winter tips to take care of your skin once that chill hits:

1. Hydrate :

The colder months are perfect for a cup of hot chocolate (or choco-chai), cozying up with a warm blanket, and for drinking extra water! See how I added that last one in there? Colder weather means your skin needs to battle the dryness (and itchiness) that comes along with the season. And the first thing that has to be taken care of is your water intake. There is no going around it.

You must make it a priority to increase your liquid intake in ways you will be able to follow through. After all, we all know we should be drinking the eights, (8 glasses of 8 ounces) a day, but how can you, realistically get that done? Is it by adding a glass after each prayer (a favorite of mine!), or by carrying a big water bottle around with you so you don’t forget?

Chose what works for you, your schedule and lifestyle! As an extra tip, eat fruits with high water content, soups, juices and teas to help with the internal hydration your body needs.

2. Cool the water!

This is by far the most impactful change you can make in your approach to skin care in the colder months (and quite honestly all year round).

Hot water strips the natural oils from your skin, so that relaxing, steamy shower can leave you with an dry, itchy feeling afterwards. If you are a fan of them, you might already be aware of the tightness on your skin once you step outside the tub. That happens because your skin’s P.H. balance has gotten disrupted and it’s been left without it’s protective barrier. While this could be fixed by lathering all the oils and creams you can find, if you are used to hot water when washing your hands and face, you might not be able to restore your skin every time. Using cold water or taking shorter showers (if you can’t move away from the steam), will help your skin stay happy, protected, and hydrated.

3. Balance is everything:

While we are at it with your skin’s P.H. balance and keeping it protected, sometimes even washing your face and hands with cold water is not enough to prevent this issue of dryness, specially if you live in places with hard water. Along with taking measures to decrease the temperature of the water in contact with your skin, adding a P.H. balancing toner or Spritz to your skincare routine could make all the difference.

In case you are wondering “what on earth is the P.H.”, it is a thin, protective layer on our skin that is referred to as the acid mantle. This layer is built with a mixture of sebum that mixes with the lactic acid and amino acids from our sweat to create the skin’s P.H. The magic number is 5.5, not too acidic or too alkaline. When this layer gets disturbed, irritation, itchy skin and inflammation are all invited in!

So P.H. balancing products help the skin to come back to where it should be, which leads to a happier skin (and happier you!). I like to say that Rose water is nature’s gift to us, it has the same P.H. level of our skin and it’s a great way to help your skin in a natural way!

4. Treat yourself:

While in the warmer months you might have been able to get away without having to do any extra care for your skin, the winter is a whole other story. For your skin to thrive and to be healthy, you will have to go the extra mile and treat at least once a week. Thankfully this can be easily done if you just pay attention to what you already have at home! A lot of the things we eat can become excellent face masks, that will leave your skin moisturized without stepping foot in a spa!

For the winter time some of the best masks will be an avocado or banana mask, done simply by mashing and applying them on your face. These two are great if you have really dry skin. If your skin is more on the oily side, you can add in a chocolate-plum mask that is full of antioxidants or an oats and yogurt masks which will brighten and add a healthy glow to your skin!

5. Up your moisture

Last, but certainly not least, let’s elevate your moisture game! This is the one tip that most of us are aware of, and the one that a lot of us try to do. However, remember that without taking into consideration the first 4 tips, there is only so much our facial oils and creams can do. If you have taken the time to make sure your water intake is good, you are avoiding hot water on your skin, your skin is balanced and being pampered a little more, then we can make the most out of this last step!

I am a firm believer that nature has a spread of goodness for us to apply on our skin, so if you have not looked through your products to make sure you recognize all the ingredients, (and that they are natural) I really urge you to do so. Even more in the colder months when our skin is very sensitive. Facial oils and night creams are, in my opinion, all you need for your skin to stay hydrated and protected. My favorite way to help my skin is to apply both at the same time, with a really nice massage, right before going to sleep. Because life happens, and we are all so busy. During the day it can be hard to find the time to put that hydration back into my skin, but I make sure, no matter what, that the night is the time to replenish and restore my skin. However you get it done, in the morning or the night, setting aside even if it’s just a few minutes for ourselves, will reap it’s rewards, in sha Allah!

Our skin is very much the same but very much different, and what might work for some will not work for others. Due to this we will need to experiment and see what works better for your skin. Your lifestyle and eating habits have a lot to do with how much or how little adjustments your skin will need to get through the winter. Which is why it is important for you to think of skincare in a holistic way. On the days where your sleep is non-existent, or your eating habits are a little off, you understand that your skin is going to need a little help to stay healthy and in turn you will able to make those changes and help your skin thrive!

Hope this tips will help you in sha Allah!