Maintaining A Glowing Skin This Harmattan Season

Nkuto.. Sorry Harmattan season is here!!

I won’t lie I’m always super excited for the season because of all it does for my skin.

Yes it’s dusty, windy, cold and the atmosphere is extra dry, and it can also be a nightmare for natural hair, but the benifits to my skin far outweighs all the negative.

The weather, however, is ONLY great for your skin if you’re willing to put in the work to take care of it; you need to up your hydration game because it’s what is standing between you having glowing skin or looking like a “crack head”.

1. Water

Drink a lot of water, preferably warm water. Drinking a lot of water will keep your body hydrated and give your skin a nice moist. You can get yourself a small water bottle to keep you going whenever you are dehydrated, and it is best to stay away from carbonated and caffeinated drinks.

2. Eat fruits with high water content.

If you can’t drink water, eat water. You need at least 8 glasses of water each day but most people see this as a daunting task. So why not eat fruits that would help keep you hydrated? You could try out iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon etc to get you started.

3. Remember your hands and lips.

Your hands and lips are the most vulnerable areas of your body during the harmattan season. As a result, you need to take extra care of these areas as we tend to swipe out the moisture from them very frequently, like when we eat, or visit the bathroom. Make sure that you have your lip balm and your hand lotion handy.

4. Exfoliate.

Exfoliating your skin a few times a week will help shave off dead and dry skin cells and allow new skin cells to come up. Use a gentle body scrub twice a week. Note however, that if over exfoliation occurs, your skin’s oils will still be depleted and dry skin will recur.

5. Cleanse.

Make it a point to cleanse your skin in the morning and night to remove make-up, dust and any other impurities from it. Also, go for regular clean-ups which involves a massage and a pack and will improve blood circulation to the skin.

6. Exercise.

Exercising helps in better blood circulation and getting good oxygen in your body. When you work out, you also sweat which releases toxins and all these combined efforts leads to a glow in your skin.

7. Bathe With Lukewarm Water

Yes, we know that the mornings are really cold and having a shower with cold water isn’t an option; however, hot water isn’t also an advisable option for you as it strips the skin of its natural oil barrier, thus resulting in dryness and itching. Hence, opt for lukewarm water. Skin care experts recommend short, warm showers or baths that last no longer than 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Choose Safe Products

The harmattan season is not the time to use high alcohol or astringent content face cleansers or hand washes as this will strip your skin off its natural oils. Opt out for mild products such as a moisturising body wash, a cleanser that contains ceramides (fatty molecules that make up the outer barrier of your skin) as they help the skin hold in moisture and an oil based body lotion such as Palmer’s Cocoa Butter; you can even moisturise using shea-butter or olive oil.

7. Moisturize.

We know how fast water dries off surfaces during this season. Hence it is more advisable to moisturise right in the bathroom while your body is still moist because a few steps out of the bathroom door dries you up completely. This method will help your skin lock in moisture.

Lastly, I can swear by Shea Butter during this season, probably one of the main reasons why I look forward to the harmattan. Shea Butter is the perfect moisturizer during this season because doesn’t dry up as quickly and can keep your skin moisturizer for hours.

Usually during other seasons it tends to make you sweat a lot, but because of the weather it locks the moisture in and your skin is able to retain the amazing benifits of Shea Butter.

naij.com/ hfmagazine.com

*** Have any tips for healthy skin this Harmattan? Share below with us.