The winter season is often associated with a drop in energy, skin attacked by the wind and the cold, and a slight drop in mood linked to the shorter or less sunny days... What if you took advantage of this season to pamper your body and take care of yourself?
Discover our 8 tips to face winter smoothly and in beauty in order to live this period of the year peacefully.
1 – I listen to my body
Stress, fatigue, lack of physical exercise, overeating... Our body sends out signals that are not always easy to read. "You have to know how to listen to it and not brutalise it by imposing an overly energetic activity" advises Malika, a certified Yon-Ka beautician.
Tightness in the neck and back, knots in the stomach, tired legs... We don't wait to do something good for our body. We take time for ourselves, before starting the day, for example, to meditate, do some gentle exercise or a bit of running for those brave enough to brave the cold, we make ourselves a comforting breakfast and we are ready to face the day. Staying in bed in the warmth and watching Netflix with a cocooning mask on your face is also a way to listen to your body when you are tired.
And the little cocooning bonus would be to have a customized treatment in a salon/spa in order to relieve tension and gently recharge your batteries.
2 – I boost my beauty routine
The cold, wind and heating attack the skin and unbalance in particular the hydrolipidic film and the protective barrier of our epidermis. The skin becomes more sensitive, uncomfortable and prone to redness. The skin care products used for the other seasons may no longer be suitable and act less effectively. So do not hesitate to consult your beautician for a new beauty assessment and a personalized prescription.
The skin's needs vary according to the season. In winter, we adapt our beauty routine with richer and more protective creams. Do not hesitate to supplement to your day and/or night face cream a few drops of either :
For the body, we enrich our moisturizing milk with a few drops of dry body oil, for a soft and luminous skin. We choose ultra-gentle fragrances and textures to boost our mood and feel beautiful. At the salon/spa, we choose intense moisturising treatments.
Don't forget that good hydration helps to keep skin plump, soft and balanced.
3 – I moisturise my feet and hands every day
AOh the feet, the great forgotten of our beauty routines! And yet how nice it is to have pretty, soft feet... especially when we try to warm them up against our loved one...
And yes, it's better if our feet are pleasant to the touch! We therefore think of moisturising them every day by massaging them in the spirit of foot reflexology. We massage the arch as well as the instep, the top of the foot and each toe. We apply gentle pressure, then more and more pressure until the areas sensitive to touch disappear completely.
Our hands, which are particularly exposed and attacked, also need to be moisturised even more in winter, morning and night, with a nourishing hand cream.
A little tip: "spoil" them with a small amount of our day or night cream!
4 – I exfoliate
We often think that exfoliation is synonymous with aggression and therefore not essential in winter. Wrong. Every day, the skin renews itself and causes dead cells to appear on its surface. They are eliminated in about 28 days, but often in an irregular manner. The skin then becomes rough and the complexion loses its radiance.
It is therefore important to exfoliate our face and to exfoliate our body 1-2 times a week followed by an application of our day cream/body cream. This will give our skin an instant glow.
If our face skin is very sensitive and we want to avoid grainy scrubs, we opt for the ultra-gentle botanical scrub without grains.
5 – I supplement with fatty acids
The surface of the epidermis is covered by a hydrolipidic film made up mainly of sebum, sweat and water, which provides the skin's natural protection against external aggression. It also plays an essential role in the skin's elasticity and suppleness.
The renewal of this hydrolipidic film is based on the equation: hydration + nutrition.
In winter, we therefore think about providing good fatty acids in our diet, such as dried fruit to nibble on (but eat in moderation). We value the Omega 3 present in rapeseed, grape seed, olive, sunflower, sesame and walnut oils... We use only organic virgin oils obtained by simple cold pressing. Ideally, they should be used as a seasoning. Do not hesitate to alternate them to vary the flavours and benefit from their precious complementarities.
6 – I keep exercising
Let's face it, it's winter and we tend to move less. The cold doesn't really encourage us to exercise. Yet it is essential for our balance. We prefer gentler sports such as brisk walking in the park or forest, pilates or aquabiking, we forget the lift, we go out one metro station beforehand...
The important thing is not to stop everything under the pretext that it is not the "right season". Especially since physical exercise has a considerable impact on our well-being, on stress and on our self-esteem. In other words, it boosts our mood, brings a sense of deep relaxation and personal satisfaction which can only be beneficial in these sometimes rather gloomy times.
7 – I breathe deeply
Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily life that we forget to breathe properly, we may even, without realizing it, experience respiratory apnea. Yet good breathing is the key to avoiding many ailments.
We therefore take some time for ourselves in a comfortable, quiet place, where we can perhaps diffuse a few drops of essential oils of sweet orange, real lavender or eucalyptus. Breathe in deeply through the nose, inflating the belly, then exhale gently through the mouth, first expelling the air from the belly and then from the lungs. We then hold our breath for about 5 seconds before breathing in deeply again.
The ideal rhythm: 3 minutes in the morning and evening, to find oneself, calm down, oxygenate oneself and listen to one's body.
8 – I allow myself time
What if we finally took the time to take care of ourselves? Hammam, exfoliation, massage, wrapping: all these little attentions that we don't always think about but which are essential to the health of our skin and our well-being.
So we take a moment each month to treat ourselves to a relaxing break in a beauty salon/spa or at home with a good bath in essential oils to unwind and regain our energy. We let go, breathe deeply and release the toxins.
