Winter Skin Care Tips

Dry, Chapped, Dull, Cracked, Ashy...Winter Skin, Oh My! Don’t let winter skin get you chapped! We’ve compiled a list of simple tips to help keep your skin healthy, soft and glowing all winter long.

TURN DOWN THE HEAT:  Harsh winter elements can be brutally drying to your skin, especially if you spend time outdoors on a daily basis. Yes, I know it’s tempting to spend long moments in a hot steamy shower on cold winter mornings; but you’re doing a disservice to your skin because hot showers actually dry it out even more. Try keeping your showers warmer (as opposed to hotter) because hot water strips your skin of its natural oils called sebum, removing this happy protective barrier that is so important to the health of your skin!  And remember shorter showers and lower temperatures also save water and power, which save you on your water and energy bill. Making Happier Skin and a Happier Pocketbook!

DRINK WATER:  While you might not feel overly thirsty during cold winter days, the truth is your skin needs water now more than ever.  Drinking plenty of water keeps your skin supple, glowing and less prone to chapping.  Ice cold water tends to have a negative impact on digestion, so try drinking water at room temperature or even a little warm.  But most importantly, drink plenty of it - at least six to eight (8 ounce) glasses per day.  The good news is that come spring time, you'll be hard pressed to kick the habit!

MOISTURIZE: Immediately after each shower or bath gently massage a skin loving natural Shea butter, Cocoa butter or natural cream into your skin to keep it healthy, supple and to tone the underlying muscles. You’ll be thrilled with the results in just one week. Also, butters and creams infused with herbs like Hemp, Tea Tree and Mint, or soothing Lavender have many other emotional and physical rejuvenating properties.

EXFOLIATE:  Exfoliating the skin might not come to mind when it comes to protection...but if you want to keep your skin looking youthful and soft, it's important to exfoliate away those dead skin cells. Commercially prepared exfoliating scrubs often contain harsh chemical ingredients like sodium lauryl sulphate, a foaming agent that can cause further dryness and mild skin inflammation.  When shopping for a scrub look for gentle, non-abrasive and chemical free sugar scrubs. Sugar granules in comparison to salt crystals are smooth and non-abrasive, and sugar is alpha-hydroxy rich to give you glowing skin and perfect to use even after shaving, with no burn.

What you give attention to grows...

What you give attention to grows ~ plain and simple. Instead of giving attention to what you don’t have or the negative things…cultivate, be thankful and focus on what you do have. Every seed you plant and nurture will reap a harvest in due time.

"Love the inner you and keep moving ahead, because you can't stand still & improve at the same time." ~ Wally Amos

Simplifying My Life

Written by Wally Amos

I am going through the process of cleaning out a bunch of stuff at my house.  I look forward to being free of all these possessions that I no longer need or have room to keep.  And in the big picture, I recognize that simplifying my life is nearly always a positive experience.  So, I am forging ahead with a pickup truck, a couple of strong friends and the map to the city dump.

            In my days as a talent agent, I got to know a lot of performers.  Tina Turner is a powerful force not only in music but also in life.  She and I have shared some similar experiences; she also had to go to court to fight for the right to retain her own name in business.  Tina has a wonderful way to explain how she got through that time:

            “Sometimes you’ve got to let everything go – purge yourself.  If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down,  GET RID OF IT.  Because you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”

            Sometimes we not only need to rid ourselves of our junk, we need to say goodbye to the old stuff and celebrate simplifying our lives – looking forward to whatever adventure lies ahead that will fill the empty space.
            American philosopher and teacher Joseph Campbell may have said it best:  “We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.  The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.”

            Do you sometimes have a difficult time letting go of old stuff that has piled up?  Do you know down deep inside that you’re never really going to fix that old appliance?  Glue together that sugar bowl?  Re-use that Styrofoam packing material?

            Onward.