Everyone worries about their skin in the summer with sunburn, drying and sun freckles. Did you know we should be more concerned about winter skin care?
Here are the best winter skin care tips to keep your skin soft & supple all year round.
#1 – Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
During the winter don’t have super hot baths – it strips your skin of natural oils that hydrate your skin.
Use creamy body cleansers and after showering or bathing immediately moisturize your skin with oil based body moisturizers.
They form a protective layer that helps retain more water.
If you do use a water-based moisturizer, make sure it contains humectants such as Ammonium Lactate, Glycerin, and Sodium PCA.
They increase moisture in your skin by attracting water from the deeper dermis level to the epidermis, increasing the pliability of the skin.
Have a hand cream available beside the sink and moisturize your hands every time you wash them. I love Glysomed Hand Cream. It’s fragrance-free. I put it in all my adult kids’ Christmas stockings & always carry one in my purse.
Make moisturizing your body – especially feet, elbows and knees – a part of your bedtime ritual.
Don’t forget your family’s lips! If lips get dry, they get itchy. Sometimes kids lick their lips and even the skin above their lips get chapped – like a painful mustache.
If you have a serious case of chapped lips, you may want to use a Lip Mask to soothe and replenish moisture.
Ditto for the chapped nose.
Don’t get “alligator” feet!
Moisturize feet every night as part of your bedtime ritual and remove dry skin regularly before you have cracked heels & callused toes. (I use the Ped Egg. It’s cheap, quick & easy to use and available everywhere.)
Every year my hubby gives me Aloe Infused Socks in my Christmas stocking. I love them! They are warm & fuzzy and feel soooo good on the feet.
#2 – Protect from Windburn & Frostbite
Wear the proper winter clothing to protect your skin from frostbite and windburn.
Windburn is redness caused by a strong wind, of course, but also buy sun reflecting off ice & snow.
We use the Humidiheat Heater/Humidifier in our bedrooms to heat and humidify the air while we sleep, and then turn down the heat in the rest of the house.
#4 – Keep Healthy Habits in Winter
During the summer we watch what we eat, and drink plenty of water but when winter comes . . . not so much. (Especially around the holidays!)
The skin gives off moisture to try and protect itself from dryness, so make sure you drink lots of water to help.
Be sure to eat healthy food like raw veggies or vegetable juice in the winter that creates glowing skin. It’s a good idea to take a vitamin C, E and Omega 3/Krill Oil supplement to give your diet an extra boost.
Whisk in the milk & vanilla, and add the pinch of salt.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Stir before serving.
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Mulled Hot Chocolate
This recipe is perfect for a romantic evening or a Christmas get-together.
Mulled Hot Chocolate
Author: Teresa McEachern
Ingredients
1 quart chocolate milk
4 cinnamon sticks
4 whole allspice or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 rind from a whole orange
1/4 cup sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cut the skin off an orange, removing the pith. Next, julienne the orange peel and set aside.
Pour chocolate milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Add sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice and orange rind. Then remove from heat for 10-15 minutes.
After the spices have steeped in the milk, reheat the mixture to a very low heat and add chocolate chunks, stirring occasionally until melted (takes about 3-5 minutes).
Carefully pour hot chocolate mixture through a metal strainer to remove spices and finish by adding vanilla extract.
Pour into individual mugs and top off hot chocolate with whipped cream and julienned orange peel, if desired.
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Source: Recipe and photos of Mulled Hot Chocolate by National Dairy Council via Family Features
Are you having a tough time getting your kids with a picky palate to eat? Do you want to put more play into dinnertime? These snowman meatloaf cupcakes are easy to make and unforgettable for the kids! (They’re also fun at a winter or snowman party.)
Begin with your favorite meatloaf recipe (or try mine: Mama McEachern’s Meatloaf Recipe.) Cook in a muffin tin. Takes about 20 minutes.
Prepared mashed potatoes. If using real potatoes add milk and mash to a play dough consistency. (Called whipped potatoes now!) If using ready-to-eat mashed potatoes, prepare as directed on the box.
While your meat and potatoes are cooking, plan and prepare your snowman embellishments.
Carrot Nose: Baby carrots don’t have that nice point, so choose a bunch of carrots that are pointy (which didn’t show up in our staight-on photo!)
Eyes: Peas make perfect eyes, but you can use any vegetable from a frozen vegetable mix. Lima beans make him look happy!
Scarf: Cut bell pepper into thin strips. Microwave for 20 seconds to make it pliable but still edible. Circle the snowman’s neck with strips and tuck another strip under to hang down like a scarf. You can use any color you like – green, red, orange, yellow – just coordinate with your color choice for hat if you’re including one. Green hat with a red scarf makes a fun Christmas snowman meal for kids.
Hat: Use the bottom of a red or green bell pepper for a toque. Choose one that is a triangular shape with a very small point or it will be too side for your snowman. Cuban or Cubanelle peppers work well; they are green and become red as they ripen.
Buttons: If you opt for a tall 3-part snowman, use a different vegetable from your mix than you used for the eyes or use raisins.
Arms: You can use rosemary sprigs as we did, or parsley sprigs with a few leaves on the ends of the stem.
Place a meatloaf cupcake on a plate.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, roll it into 2 or 3 balls just like you would when playing with play dough with your kids. Form into a snowman on top of your meatloaf cupcake.
The chilly nights of winter call for foods that warm the body and the soul. And that’s the very definition of comfort food. Here are some of my favorite ways to bring some comfort to the table and smiles to the faces of those around it:
A make-ahead casserole – I like to put together a hearty one-dish meal that makes enough for leftovers on another night
Homemade hot cocoa mix – Keeping a container of homemade mix ready lets me make a cozy cup of cocoa to warm things up after school or any time at all
Quick loaves – Waking up to the smell of baking lemon bread, banana bread or pumpkin bread makes the day better already
Soups and chowders – I like to make a big batch so there’s some for supper and plenty left over to send some to school for a good, hot lunch
In this All-Star Potato, Bacon and Corn Chowder, potato flakes bring familiar flavor and act as a thickener. Sunny yellow corn and crispy bacon really brighten up the taste, and evaporated milk makes it extra creamy and super comforting.
May you always find your meals comforting and keep you warm my friend.
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If you do use a water-based moisturizer, make sure it contains humectants such as Ammonium Lactate, Glycerin, and Sodium PCA.
. It’s fragrance-free. I put it in all my adult kids’ Christmas stockings & always carry one in my purse.
to soothe and replenish moisture.
in my Christmas stocking. I love them! They are warm & fuzzy and feel soooo good on the feet.
.
to moisturize the air.
for your office.
in our bedrooms to heat and humidify the air while we sleep, and then turn down the heat in the rest of the house.
The chilly nights of winter call for foods that warm the body and the soul. And that’s the very definition of comfort food. Here are some of my favorite ways to bring some comfort to the table and smiles to the faces of those around it:
In this All-Star Potato, Bacon and Corn Chowder, potato flakes bring familiar flavor and act as a thickener. Sunny yellow corn and crispy bacon really brighten up the taste, and evaporated milk makes it extra creamy and super comforting.