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Hey guys!How are y'all doing? preparing for the holidays, right? Me too!
As we progress further into the season, the weather is gradually getting colder and dryer. For those of us here in Nigeria, it will be harmattan season soon and much as I LOVE the harmattan, the cold dry air can do some serious damage to the skin, lips and even hair.
Along with the pleasant sides to it, the season is also commonly rife with drier, ashier skin, brittle, dusty hair, cracked lips and for some people, sore dry throat.
If there was ever a time to pay special attention to your skin (and body, more than normal), it is now.
From my personal experience and years of professional sales and marketing of skincare products, i have learnt that the major key to keeping the skin healthy, youthful and beautiful, is moisture.
Eat it, drink it, rub it on, get that moisture in and watch your skin thrive, no matter how cold and dry it gets.
I am breaking down the things i'm using now, but let me disclaim and say that these are what i do for myself, on my skin, so please proceed with caution if your skin is sensitive or just negatively reactive to any of these items.
1. Vaseline Intensive Care lotion in Cocoa Radiant.
I love this product. A little heavy at first but it dissolves into the skin nicely, without any greasiness left on the skin and palms. The yummy cocoa butter fragrance is a nice plus. I use it all over my body, except my face, after bath.
2. Palm kernel oil.
I don't have coconut oil at the moment, so i am using this. If you are a Nigerian who grew up in Nigeria, then your mother might have used this for your skin (and a little more than required on your face for that extra oily shine that shows that your parents take good care of you 😄)and small coughs when you were little. It's a cheaper alternative to coconut oil and i like the smell too. I use this mostly in areas like my elbows, feet and bum, especially when i don't want to use Bio-Oil, and on my hair too.
3. Shea butter.
The holy grail of African skin care. No need to preach about it. I use it on my bum stretch marks, for massaging any sore muscles, for deep conditioning and moisturizing my hair and on my brows at night (i've heard it promotes hair growth and i am growing my eyebrows back out, so..).
4. Honey.
Oh honey. I use this with some lemon juice as a face mask, with olive oil to condition my hair for strength and shine, with sugar for a body and lip scrub to get rid of dried, dead flakes and for enhancing my tea to sooth sore throat.
5. Ebony & Indigo Lip Balm.
I had been using the good 'ole Chapet lip balm or Vaseline jelly on my lips for ages, but i recently got this nice lip balm from Ebony & Indigo during the GT Bank Fashion Weekend, (as i mentioned on my Instagram). It contains Shea butter and some other nice moisturizing ingredients and mint, so it keeps my lips soft, smooth and moisturized. I use it before applying lip colors, at night before bed and alone on makeup-free days. Guys, in this season, a lip balm is a must, don't skip it.
6. Bio-Oil.
I might be biased, but this product is hands-down one of the best remedies for skin dryness. It is for multiple uses but for this season, i apply it on the skin around my eyes, my elbows and feet, or all over my body if i want. I sometimes mix it with my Vaseline lotion on my palms and rub it over my skin for deep moisturizing. A good tip is to apply this alone or with your moisturizer while your skin is still wet/damp after shower, if your skin is very dry or you just need the extra moisturizing.
*you can get it from any Kuddy Cosmetics store or Shop Rite*
7. Oriflame Love Nature face toner.
So i'm not a big face toner user. Most of the affordable ones are harsh and my face HATES cotton-wool, but i got this from my neighbor who
8. Silk scarf.
For your hair, tying a silk scarf to sleep is key to protecting your edges, keeping your lengths smooth and moisturized, as well as maintaining your hairstyles. Get you one if you haven't already.
Above all these, take water seriously. As dry as our skin, nails and hair look on the outside when they lack moisture, our insides are worse. So drink and eat water and water-filled foods constantly, now more than ever. Foods like cucumbers, salads with cabbage, watermelon, those green smoothies, etc are your friends, embrace them.
Also worth mentioning is that intake of alcohol should be reduced as much as possible. Alcohol dries up the skin and body organs, so don't stress out your body even more by guzzling those wines.
That's it for me. What are you doing for skin maintenance this season? Please share any other tips or personal experience in skin care down in the comments.
x.
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