Biting wind, freezing temperatures and indoor heating – after a long winter, the conditions have probably taken a serious toll on your skin. And before you know it, your skin looks uncared for and without its usual glow. Here are some ideas on how to revive your skin after the woes of winter.

Revive Through Cleansing
Start by washing your face with a gentle cleanser. Your skin has a protective barrier, composed of skin cells and lipids (fatty acids), to keep moisture in. Taking long, hot showers and using harsh soaps can irritate skin and break down this barrier. Non-soap cleansers are important when skin is getting dry so you're not striping away too much of your natural defences and the skin can repair itself.

Gentle Facial Cleanser:
½ cup oatmeal
plain yoghurt (enough to make a paste)

For a gentle face cleanser, mix ingredients together and smooth over face, avoiding eye area. Wash off with warm water.

Revive Through Moisturising

Moisturise three to four minutes after your bath or shower. When your skin is slightly damp, moisturiser is absorbed better and sealed into the skin.

For really dry, cracked lips, dampen a washcloth with warm water and apply to lips for a few minutes. Seal it with a petroleum-based product.

Rich, natural moisturiser
½ cup distilled water
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp lecithin
6-8 drops Burgess & Finch Geranium essential oil
2-4 drops Burgess & Finch Myrrh essential oil
1-2 open capsules Vital Vitamin E oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender. You will have a creamy lotion. Add more water to make a lighter lotion. Store in the refrigerator in hot climates or store in a cool place. Shake well before use.

Revive Through Exfoliation

Most people neglect exfoliation in their weekly skincare routine. The average human generates a new layer of skin every two to four weeks. Usually what sits on top of that new strata is a pile of old cells. If you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference in your complexion.

Walnut Body Scrub
¼ cup plain yoghurt
¼ cup walnuts, very finely ground
Mix ingredients together. Wet your face and then gently work the scrub into your skin. Rinse off with warm water.
Brown sugar facial scrub
2 tbsp ground oats*
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp aloe vera
1 tsp lemon juice

Mix ingredients until you have a smooth paste. Gently massage onto damp skin, and rinse off with warm water. You can triple the recipe for a smoothing body treatment. (*Ground oats: Use rolled oats and a clean coffee grinder or blender to grind the flakes to a fine powder.)