The most treasured memories of winter are days filled with ice skating, sledding, skiing, and building snowmen with family and friends, then retreating indoors to drink hot cocoa around the fire. Cozy activities aside, if you think hard enough, you’ll probably remember that many of those days are also filled with chapped lips and dry, itchy skin.

As it turns out, both the cold air outside and the warm air inside dry out your skin and lips. Cold air holds fewer water molecules than warm or hot air, so when you are outside in cold weather, the extra-dry air pulls moisture from your skin. When you head back inside, the warm air from indoor heating evaporates additional moisture, leaving skin feeling uncomfortable, itchy, and looking worse for winter weather. Keep reading for some tips and tricks on how to keep your skin naturally soft and hydrated this winter season!

How to naturally moisturize your body

Is flakiness, itchiness, and irritation making it difficult to enjoy the cozy winter season? Try some of these steps for keeping your skin extra moisturized all winter long:

  • Stock your showers with moisturizing shower gels that clean effectively without stripping your skin of its natural moisture barrier. Try adding the following oils to Young Living Bath and Shower Gel Base for a moisturizing experience that will keep skin feeling soft, smooth, and comfortable.

Shower gel blend for men

Idaho Blue Spruce
Hong Kuai
Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood™
Shutran™

Shower gel blend for women

Geranium
Myrrh
Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood
Ylang Ylang
Lavender

Directions:

Add 3−6 drops of each oil to your Bath and Shower Gel Base and shake to incorporate. Adjust the amounts according to your personal scent strength preference.

Wooden hanger with bath towels and body brushes hanging - Young Living Lavender Life blog
  • Use lotion and use it often, especially right after showering. Add the same essential oils for winter skin as the shower gel blends listed above to Lavender Hand and Body Lotion. Take your own personal blends of Young Living lotion and stash them in every room, purse, backpack, and car in your household. This will ensure that you have lotion nearby any time you need.
  • Dry brushing and oil massage help exfoliate excess dead skin cells and deeply moisturize your skin.
  • Apply sunscreen daily. Oftentimes, we assume that sunscreen needs to be applied only in the summer months. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Even in the winter, UV rays can harm your skin and strain its moisture barrier. Try our SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion to protect and moisturize your skin.
  • If you’re looking for an easy, passive way to support your skin 24/7, try using a humidifier. You can turn it on at home, in the office, or in the car and forget about it as you go about your business. The humidifier will take care of the rest!
Close up of lips - Young Living Lavender Life blog

How to improve dry lips

Are dry lips driving you crazy? Try these tips to keep your lips luscious and hydrated:

  • Scrub away dry, dead skin with Savvy Minerals® Poppy Seed Lip Scrub. Apply a pea-sized amount of the product to your lips, then exfoliate by massaging in small, circular motions. Use a damp cotton pad to remove.
  • Protect your lips before going out in the cold, dry weather by applying a lip balm. With scents like Cinnamint, Grapefruit, and Citrus Frost, there’s options for everyone. For extra protection, apply lip balm before you sleep to keep your lips hydrated and help them recover all night long.
  • Avoid licking your lips. Even though it initially feels like it’s adding moisture to your lips, once your saliva evaporates, it’ll leave your lips feeling dryer than before. Avoid the feeling of needing to lick your lips by always keeping your lip balm handy.
  • Keep yourself hydrated. When you are hydrated internally, you’ll see and feel that hydration externally. Grapefruit Bergamot YL Vitality Drops add an irresistibly fresh, citrusy flavor to your water, which makes staying hydrated a treat instead of a chore.

How to care for dry winter skin on your face

Dry facial skin is not only uncomfortable, but it can also dampen your glow and make your skin look dull. Add some radiance back to your face with these tips:

  • Wash your skin with a cleanser that is not too harsh or stripping on your skin. You want your skin to feel hydrated after you cleanse, not super tight and dry.
  • Our BLOOM™ Brightening Cleanser gently cleanses and hydrates your skin and leaves it feeling soft and smooth.
  • If your skin is feeling extra dry and flaky, gently polish the dryness away with our Satin Facial Scrub 2–3 times a week. Keep in mind that over-exfoliating can be too much of a good thing and can cause your skin to become even more irritated and dry.
  • Follow up with our BLOOM Brightening Essence to add an extra hydration barrier before you moisturize.
  • Try combining our ultra-hydrating BLOOM Brightening Cream with 3–5 drops of Essential Beauty™ Serum to deeply hydrate, freshen, and strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier.
Woman with dewy, sunlit skin - Young Living Lavender Life blog
  • It’s important to add lots of hydration during your nighttime skin care routine so your face can absorb the extra moisture as your skin regenerates while you sleep. Finish off your skin care routine by patting a few drops of CBD Beauty Boost™ onto your face, neck, and décolletage. Rub any leftover product onto the backs of your hands to wake up with radiant, smooth skin.

How to naturally hydrate dry hands

If you tend to get dry hands during the winter, you know how painful and irritating it can be. Dry, rough skin and knuckles can be fixed with these steps:

  • Wash your hands with soap that cleanses and moisturizes your skin, like our Lushious Lemon™ Foaming Hand Soap. Be sure to thoroughly dry your hands on a soft hand towel.
  • Keep hand lotion handy so you can easily apply at any time! Place a bottle of Winter Nights™ Hand Lotion by your hand soap to remind you to moisturize after you wash up.
Mother and baby washing hands with Lushious Lemon Foaming Hand Soap - Young Living Lavender Life Blog
  • Wear gloves when you go outside into the cold, dry weather to keep your skin protected.
  • If your skin is extremely dry, make your own CBD skin salve. This DIY trick can be used any time throughout the day, but to lock in even more moisture, apply an even layer of the salve to your hands before bed. Put on a pair of fabric gloves or a clean pair of socks and keep them on throughout the night to wake up with baby-soft hands! Continue this routine each night until your dry skin improves.

YL tip: This DIY CBD skin salve is also great for dry feet!

Support your skin with DIYs that are tailored for your skin type.

Which skin-moisturizing tip is your favorite?