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In case you haven’t heard, winter is coming! Our skincare needs to change with the seasons, and in cooler months all skin—the skin on our face, of course, but our body skin, and even our scalp, too—tends to become dry, flaky, and a bit more sensitive. If that sounds less than ideal to you, you’re not alone. There’s nothing worse than a bout of red, irritated skin you feel like you can’t control. Thankfully, there are a few key soothing ingredients that are like superfoods for the skin, calming conditions like eczema, sensitive skin, or dry skin, whether it’s chronically dry or simply seasonal.
When shopping for your winter skincare, look for these ingredients in your products for an extra boost of nourishment:
1. Colloidal Oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal is one of the best ingredients for dry skin, especially for soothing itchiness1 that arises from conditions like eczema. In case you didn’t know, “colloid” is a chemistry term that refers to an evenly-distributed solution. Colloidal oatmeal is finely ground, and when it combines with water or any other solvent, it disperses to create a slightly more viscous liquid colloid. Oatmeal baths have long been a treatment for eczema because of colloidal oatmeal’s skin-soothing nature. Avalon Organics® Eczema Relief Gentle Cleanser relies on trusted colloid oatmeal and other botanicals to help calm inflamed skin. It’s also soap-free, moisturizing, and formulated without parabens, harsh preservatives, synthetic colors, or fragrances, which can further irritate skin. Everything Avalon Organics® makes is gentle for sensitive skin and certified to an organic standard, which sets its Eczema Therapy Relief products apart from conventional eczema products. All products also hold the seal of the National Eczema Association.
2. Shea Butter
Shea butter is a superfood for your skin—for one, it’s edible when it’s raw and unrefined. Most shea butter comes from Africa, and a lot of it is fair trade, which can help boost growing economies and laborers. To build on the virtues of shea butter, it’s a treat for the skin. Using shea butter right after a shower helps lock in moisture for hours. Shea butter is thick and creamy, making it a great natural replacement for petroleum-based products you may have used as a kid.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe is true plant medicine. It’s often thought of as a summer plant, soothing cuts and sunburns faster than petroleum alone2, but its medicinal qualities don’t cease when temperatures drop! Aloe and aloe gel have potent healing properties that, when included in skincare products like the Avalon Organics® Eczema Relief Body Cream, impart major moisture into damaged skin.
4. Coconut Oil
Coconut is lauded in the natural beauty world for good reason: it has anti-microbial properties3 that are helpful for people with eczema (which has been linked to microbes like Staph) and is ultra-moisturizing. Avalon Organics® Eczema Relief Intensive Cream has a blend of colloidal oatmeal, coconut oil, shea butter, and other good-for-you botanicals that are concentrated enough to act like a spot treatment. If you’re going for the raw stuff, be sure to buy organic, food-grade oil and spot test if you’re using on your face. Not all coconut oils are created equal!
5. Jojoba Oil
If coconut oil tends to clog your facial pores, a lighter oil like jojoba might be in order. You don’t have to give up coconut oil entirely, but rotating a lighter oil into your routine can help. Jojoba is a naturally fragrance-free oil and is “dry,” so it doesn’t feel as thick, and spreads onto the skin in a thinner layer. It makes for a great oil cleanser, too!
Dry skin or sensitive skin can be easily reactive, so it’s important to treat it with gentle products, staying away from harsh exfoliants tolerated by normal skin. With some TLC and the right active ingredients, winter will be no match for your newly supple skin!
