Live in the body you deserve

Dry winter skin just sucks. It looks gross, it itches, it cracks, it happens to just about all of us this time of year.

Not you, Wisdom Seeker. I got you.

This is going to be short and sweet because I know you’re itching (he he) to run out and get the four things I use to keep my skin luxurious in the winter time.

DRY BRUSHING

You might exfoliate your hands, feet, and face. But what about the rest of your body? Your tush and thighs need love too - there are many benefits of skin brushing:

• Remove excess dead and dry skin so you can absorb that expensive lotion you got for Christmas.
• It gets your lymphatic system moving. If you want to know more about why this matters, check out this vintage FAQ Thursday. You won’t regret it.
• Exfoliation cleans your pores and allows your skin to be vibrant and healthy.
• Dry brushing can reduce cellulite. I'll say that again: DRY BRUSHING CAN REDUCE CELLULITE.
• It improves organ function (kidneys, digestive system) by massaging lymph nodes that can help reduce bloating and water retention.
• This one works well but you can also find one at Whole Foods or your natural grocer in the body care section.
• If you want a full tutorial on how to dry brush, check out this video.

HEALTH INSIDE OUT

You’ve got to be supplementing so your body has what it needs to keep your skin healthy and moisturized from the inside out. Yes, it’s possible to get nutrition through food, but many of us don’t.

Those painful cracks in your heels? Oftentimes this is a sign of nutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin D or essential fatty acids.

Those dry bumps on the backs of your arms and thighs (that dermatologists continued to give me creams for when I was young and “nothing worked”)? That’s one of the main signs of a deficiency of EPA-DHA essential fatty acids.

The trick is that you can’t just supplement with crap from the grocery store because the potency and quality of supplements make all the difference (and some supps are outright dangerous without being high quality). Happy to nerd out on supplementation with you (send me a note here if you have questions), but I promised your dried up self some quick info.

In the meantime, grab yourself some vitamin D (with vitamin K) as well as EPA / DHA supplements here. You’ll see a difference in your skin within the first few months. I recommend 5,000 IU of vitamin D per day (testing your vitamin D levels is an easy and quick request to add to your next blood work) if you aren’t getting any sunshine. For omega 3 (EPA/DHA), take at least 1000 mg combined, I take about 2000mg because there are so many other added benefits.

GREASE UP

You’ve seen lotions are starting to advertise that they’re “now with coconut oil” as well as whatever else they’ve added to the potion. Why not go straight to the source?

If you cook with coconut oil, use that. Ideally, it is organic, raw, in a glass jar… you can snag my favorite for cooking and skin care here. This is super helpful for eczema as well…

I also love this argan oil (amazing on dry skin) - slather this on your skin, face, hair, your pets. It’s magical.

Or if you want to have a fun name to say, jojoba oil is also amazing for rubbing down on your skin. Just make sure it’s 100% jojoba and organic, like this one.

HYDRATE. DUH.

Before you roll your eyes at me, make sure you’re drinking half your body weight (at least) in ounces of water each day. That means if you’re 150 lbs, you need at least 75 ounces of water each day.

So many of my clients think they drink a ton of water until they actually track their ounces over a few days. So drink up! Plus, water is a lot cheaper than a bunch of oils and skin treatments. Just sayin’.

Let me know if I missed any of your favorite ways to treat dry skin! Comment on my Facebook post or send me a note. Ok, now I have to wipe some of this grease off my keyboard…