Winter is definitely not our skin's favorite season.  The lack of humidity keeps us from feeling hydrated and the harsh outdoor elements are also sensitizing our skin. During this time of year, a lot of us are looking for ways to feel nourished and hydrated instead of uncomfortable, itchy, and dry.  I have an easy 3 step process to make defeating dry skin easy!

scrub me secret: Dry skin can is when the skin lacks oils and natural hydrators that help skin retain water. Your skin's most outer layer (epidermis) is lacking nourishment and moisture and then becomes flaky, itchy, or tight.

Step 1 for defeating dry skin:

Cleanse with a soap that keeps your skin’s barrier healthy.

Cleanse your skin using any of the scrub me soap bars. These plant-based soap bars that my family and I make by hand are chocked full of skin-nourishing oils and other additives that contribute to overall skin health. Unlike a commercial dial or Irish spring soap, these bars will not overly dry or unbalance your skin. We want to cleanse first because removing dirt, debris, and excess oils from the skin's surface will allow our exfoliators to do their job.  If you choose not to use a scrub me soap bar, please make sure that you use a pH-balanced soap or one that is rich with oils like olive, castor, argan.  The skin barrier needs to stay balanced in order to function properly. Rinse after cleansing and get ready for your scrub!

scrub me secret: if your skin is extra dry or dull feeling you have the option to use a soap bar that contains an exfoliating element before continuing on with the rest of your body treatment. scrub me “man soaps” are 2 in 1 cleansing and scrubbing soaps.

Step 2 for defeating dry skin:

Exfoliate with a scrub that contains oils.

A sea salt body scrub or sugar body scrub that contains nourishing oils like sweet almond, argan, castor, olive, etc. is really key for treating and defeating super dry skin. The physical exfoliating element (salt or sugar) works to buff away dead and dry skin while the oils in the scrub give skin a nourishing coat of moisture. This helps your skin start locking in moisture ASAP.

scrub me secret: I use dead sea salt for the scrub me body scrubs because I really like the mineral elements and properties it has. Dead sea salts have some detoxification properties for our body and they contain an important mineral called magnesium that can be absorbed via the skin.

Not only does exfoliation help remove the dry cells on the surface, but it also helps to stimulate live skin cells and create some oxygen flow.  Stimulation of live skin cells can help protect collagen and elastin, making skin feel softer and more firm. 

Step 3 for defeating dry skin:

Lock in moisture with shea butter.

After cleansing and exfoliating you’ll want to lock some moisture into your newly refreshed skin! I really like shea butter as a body moisturizer because it’s rich in both vitamins E and A; both of these vitamins provide antiaging elements for our skin. Shea has the ability to help your skin retain the moisture it gives to it, unlike a typical body lotion. Apply your shea butter all over your entire body and rub the butter into your skin. Keep this on for the remainder of the day or evening for the best results.

scrub me secret: A little shea butter goes a long way!  The butter melts with body heat and turns into a moisturizing oil.  This is really great and healthy for skin but if you go overboard you could end up feeling a bit oily.

After this 3 step process, your skin will be feeling soft and healthy!  I suggest performing this exfoliating and moisturizing ritual at least once a week in order to keep your dry skin soft and supple.  Home maintenance is really important when it comes to taking care of your skin; making an effort can really change how your skin looks and feels. Let’s enjoy our soft, smooth, and non-dry & flaky skin!