Is seasonal skin a thing?

Yes, it is! Much like our seasonal diets, our skin needs a bit of seasonal TLC to keep it looking and feeling its best year-round. Our diet changes by the seasons – in winter we relish hearty warming meals, and coming into Spring we love all things fresh and green. Our skin also experiences its own seasonal changes, and in Spring it’s the perfect time to revitalise and re-energise our outer cells. So while we dine on fresh salads and detox with green juices, Spring is a time to shed our winter layers.

Why does our skin become dry through winter?

Our skin is our largest organ, and just like our other vital organs, it needs essential vitamins, minerals and hydration. In winter, the humidity drops and there’s less moisture in the air, and so from the outside our skin is less hydrated.

There’s nothing like a nice hot shower on a cold day right? As luxurious as it may feel, hot water and skin are not the best of friends. Instead of adding hydration, hot water actually strips away the natural oils on our skin leaving it feeling dry, tight and often itchy and flakey. Try cooling down the temperature of your showers and your skin will love you for it.

While we shower in hot water, we tend to drink less water in the cooler months because we feel less thirsty. Our skin is the last organ to receive water from the body, so when we are less hydrated, unfortunately our skin takes the hit.

“In the lead up to summer, it’s important to remove the dead cells that protected us through the cooler months, and replenish skin to give you that glowing, radiant summer-ready bod.”

How to nourish your skin in spring

This time of year, our skin is craving extra hydration and seasonal nutrients. Drinking water and eating a healthy diet full of nutrient-rich foods is helpful, but there’s also a lot of things we can do on the outside to give our skin an extra boost in spring.

In the lead up to summer, it’s important to remove the dead cells that protected us through the cooler months, and replenish skin to give you that glowing, radiant summer-ready bod.

Did you know that most of what you put on your skin is absorbed into the bloodstream? True story! And in Spring our skin is ready to absorb a seasonal feast after being banished away through winter.

But before you go and lather yourself with this week’s market shop, it’s important to know that some natural ingredients are more beneficial than others.

Secondly, we’re sorry to inform you that our skin doesn’t only absorb the good. Anti-nutrients and toxins such as chemicals and fragrances used in mass-produced and artificially-made skincare are also absorbed, and this is not good news for our overall health. Many skincare brands also use ingredients which cause inflammatory symptoms to people with food sensitivities. Gluten is often used in skincare, and so are soy-based products which, when absorbed into the body, can cause many issues including hormone imbalances.

So if you wouldn’t eat it, why would you put it on your skin? Always read labels and use skincare made with natural ingredients. Hint hint 😉

“Essential oils are (essentially) like taking vitamins and supplements – they are far more concentrated in their nutrients therefore they deliver far more nourishment to our skin.”

What’s in season for spring?

The sun is shining and this time of year we love vibrant sources of plant-based nutrients. Coming out of winter our skin microbes go crazy for natural and essential oils because they are so effective in replenishing nutrients which aid in the repair and re-generation of skin cells.

So what’s on the menu? Here’s just a few of our favourite Spring ingredients for our skin:

Avocado oil – one of the most nutrient-dense, plant-based foods on the planet and an amazing source of vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. Perfect for nourishing dry, climate damaged skin.
Rosehip oil – providing essential fatty acids and helps our skin rebuild, rosehip is also known to combat free radicals that cause skin damage. That’s why it’s loved for its anti-ageing properties as it will preserve skin cells.
Hazelnut oil – this essential oil penetrates deep into our skin and helps to tone and tighten. It also provides a healthy dose of fatty acids and is linked to lowering cholesterol.
Nutmeg essential oil – nutmeg stimulates the mind and has analgesic properties – a great natural remedy for any aches and pains.
Vitamin E oil – one of the best known anti-oxidants for the skin; take care to always use a non GMO source (we always have and always will!)
Sandalwood essential oil – your skin will feel like it’s just done a yoga class! Sandalwood has a calming and harmonising affect and will help reduce tension. It also has the added benefit of rehydrating skin and relieving itching and inflammation.
Patchouli essential oil – used in Chinese medicine to treat skin ailments and scars, this soothes the nervous system whilst regenerating skin tissue and stimulating regrowth of skin cells.
Ylang Ylang essential oil – known to invigorate the mind, it also has tension relieving properties and can lift your mood. As if that isn’t enough, it also stimulates our libido!

How do we feed our skin for the spring season?

Whilst soap and water are a huge part of basic healthcare and help to prevent the spread of viruses, the beauty of hand sanitiser is it can be used anywhere, making it particularly helpful for the scenarios we are most cautious of at this time - when you can’t get to a sink or be in your home.

Step 1 – scrub and polish

First off, after winter we need to remove the outer layer of skin cells. A natural scrub with a mild abrasive, such as Himalayan pink salt, is a great way to polish the skin and prime it for seasonal nourishment.

A scrub is also an excellent way to stimulate blood flow, and our Love Your Body Polish combines Himalayan pink salt with 12 therapeutic oils – delivering every mineral and trace element found in the human body as well as an abundance of nutrients. This will breathe new life into your skin.

Step 2 – good oil

Once you’ve scrubbed, your skin will be ready to lap up nutrients in the form of natural and essential oils. Many people believe that applying oil to your skin leaves your skin oily, but this is not the case! Our skin already produces its own natural oils – the trouble is, we often strip these away by taking hot showers, shaving and using soaps and skincare full of toxins.

Good oils derived from plant-based sources are essential for optimal skin health.

Don’t be tempted to lather skin with a moisturiser full of chemicals and fragrances. Once you’ve scrubbed away the dead cells, it’s really important to only feed your skin good ingredients.

We recommend our Love Your Body Oil which contains 12 essential oils and is designed to perfectly nourish your skin. We don’t want to claim this product as life changing, but it kind of is. Created to replace a multitude of nasty products found in most bathrooms, this nourishing multi remedial oil contains nothing but the best natural ingredients.

And in case you were wondering, on top of the nutrients delivered to the skin, every ingredient we use in our range has a remedial benefit far beyond skin health.

After your ‘Love Your Body’ treatment, don’t be surprised if you have an extra Spring in your step (pun intended!) But seriously, you will feel amazing and feel the benefits far beyond skin health. Essential oils have an overwhelmingly positive affect on our mental health, so be prepared to feel clear, centred and ready to take on the world.

To learn more about the benefits of exfoliation for face read our post: Benefits of Exfoliation – Breathe new life into your skin!