So the Mayans were wrong and the world did not end on December 21, 2012 as predicted. It will be another winter solstice and our skin has to bear with another harsh cold weather.

The winter weather can take its toll on your skin causing dryness, itchiness, and skin dehydration. To ease your winter skin woes, here are some Top 5 tips:

1. Invest in good humidifiers

A humidifier is a  must-have home device during the winter months.  Humidifiers help to create the much needed moisture in your home that are loss due to your home heating and cold weather. So, put these little device around the house to improve moisture and humidity.

2. Have warm and short showers

A 30 minute steaming hot shower during winter is warm and tempting, but this can do more harm than good. Water dries out your skin, making it harder to retain moisture afterwards. Therefore, keep your shower time under 15 minutes. Remember to moisturise after a shower.

3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

Moisturise your face, your body,  your lips, hands and feet! Moisturizer acts as a protective barrier to prevent moisture loss from the skin as it dries. Moisturizer is best applied when the skin is damp (i.e after a shower).

Use richer and hydrating moisturizer during the winter months. Unrefined Certified Organic Shea Butter is thick, rich and super concentrated, which gives a luxurious feel.  Good quality body butters contain antioxidants, beta carotene, Vitamin A, E and F, all of which are nourishing for the skin. Regular use can keep skin looking younger longer.

The best body butter is Shea, Cocoa and Mango (yum..).

View our Top picks of moisturizer for this winter months here.

4. Exfoliate your skin

The harsh winter weather causes more dead skin cells to accumulate than normal. Exfoliating 2-3 times a week with a natural gentle exfoliant leaves skin supple and makes it easier for your moisturizer to absorb into your skin.

You can easily whip up a honey and lemon sugar scrub from your kitchen cupboard. The recipe can be found here.

5. Use Sunscreen SPF30+

Because it is winter, it doesn’t mean the sun’s harmful UV rays aren’t going to have an impact on your skin. Make sure to NEVER leave the house without applying sunscreen with at least SPF 30. Remember to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside.

A good sunscreen has SPF 30,  and contain one active ingredient – Zinc Oxide - a mineral reflector found in nature to sits on your skin reflecting both UVA and UVB rays.  UVA rays (also known as the silent wrinkler) can do deeper level damage at the cell level, and can be responsible for skin ageing and wrinkling.

I’m not a big fan of a bitterly cold winter. That’s why keeping warm and cosy is my top priority this winter. Of course, switching  the heater 24/7 one is not the best solution as it will make the electricity bill soar. Even if I were to pack my bags and go somewhere tropical, this idea is not friendly to my wallet. How could I possibly leave home for 3 months?!

Anyway, my economical way to keep myself warm this winter is to cook. Yes, cooking, not only gives me the warm fuzzy feeling but it also can keep  me physically warm. The kitchen will be warm while cooking and then I can have a great home cooked meal! :) Ahh….double bliss.

If you are not a chef, grab a roast chicken or a hot pie or chicken soup from a
hot meal merchandisers and savour it at home. Drinking a warm broth is relaxing and stimulating. I seek warmth through my faithful organic Japanese green tea.

Of course there is a limit to what we can stomach in a day. So how do we keep ourself warm other time? You can choose to do something or nothing. The nothing bit is just to snuggle in bed the whole day but the drawback of this choice is you will feel sluggish and tired and that is not a pleasant feeling.

The more positive option is to exercise. 20 minutes of vigorous exercise can warm you up and keep you warm well after the exercise session. A warm nice shower is also a plus point and of course, how could we forget our favourite slippers, warm socks and maybe the hideous looking Snuggie? (May the power be with you…)

Anyway, keep warm this winter, and don’t forget to drink enough water and apply some sunscreen before heading out!