Winter flakes on your body

How is your skin handling the harshness of winter? Are your legs dry and flaky?

We cover up in winter and often forget to take care of our skin. Going from warm to cold environments, from the heat of fires and heat pumps to the cold outside aggressing our skin.

With winter upon us we often drink less water and with only 5 percent of the water intake reaching our skin it's even more important to play an active role in skin health. Now is the time to care for your skin more then ever.

Here are some basic skin health tips to prevent your skin becoming dry and dull in the winter months.

Firstly, use a soap-free shower gel every day with a glove loofah. This gently buffs off the build-up of dead skin cells cleaning your skin. Once you have dried off, use a body lotion to remoisturise. Choose a good brand that gets into the skin rather than sitting on the surface – you want it to be treating the deeper layers.

Once a week treat yourself to a complete body scrub. Again, avoid one that has soap or detergent bases. Natural seaweed gel with natural exfoliants like passiflora seeds or sugar scrubs are great. Use the scrub all over your body dry, then add water – this will give you a deeper exfoliation – then wash it off leaving your skin silky smooth. Follow up with a good moisturiser. NZSpa natural body products are great as they are affordable and gentle on your skin.

If you want a deeper treatment and some pamper time, book in a body treatment in your local clinic. Indulge in a top-to-toe clinic exfoliation followed by nourishing oils to smoothe and nourish dry skin.

Once you develop the routine, not only will your skin benefit and look better, but you feel great taking care of yourself, taking time for you. It's amazing how something so small like a weekly body scrub can not only help your skin but also help kick the winter blues.

n Alex Donald is owner of Pure Essence Face & Body Clinic and has worked in the beauty industry for 20 years. Online pureessence.co.nz.