How to Naturally Hydrate Dry Winter Skin

Frigid temperatures, low levels of humidity, dry heat, and flu symptoms can leave your skin feeling more like scales. Although many men and women reach for the first bottle of lotion they can find at the drugstore, many hydrating products are full of chemicals that can dry out your skin even more. Fortunately, there are some easy, natural ways to hydrate your skin all winter long.

Hydrate for Your Skin

The easiest way to hydrate your skin is by drinking enough water every day, which is often easier said than done. While a tall glass of cold water sounds refreshing in the summertime, it’s a little less appealing this time of year. To stay both warm and hydrated, sip hot herbal teas throughout the day. You can also try mineral waters or organic aloe juice for extra soothing benefits. Keep a bottle or glass or water next to you at all times – at your desk, beside the couch, in your car, and at the gym.

Diet for Your Skin

Fresh, organic vegetables and fruits can work wonders for your skin. Silica is a key element in promoting healthy skin, bones, and teeth. Silica is easily found in the peels and “stringy parts” of many fruits and vegetables, like cucumbers and celery. Leave the peels on your produce to reap the benefits of this nutrient known to boost hydration and elasticity. Choose foods that are high in vitamin B, like whole grains and protein, to restore collagen to weary skin.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Your Skin

Foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids limit the amount of water that your skin cells lose, which keeps your skin from becoming dehydrated and forming wrinkles. Chronically dry skin can actually be a symptom of an Omega-3 deficiency. To boost your skin’s Omega-3s, try our Seagate Smooth Skin topical oil, which combines Omega-3 shark liver oil with virgin olive oil, coconut oil, natural vitamin E and vanilla oil. Smooth Skin is loaded with natural antioxidants and antimicrobials to promote healing for acne, wrinkles, burns, sun damage, and dehydration.

Natural Oils for Your Skin

Natural oils, like the ones mentioned above, help to lock in hydration and are crucial during dry, winter months. Other nutrient-rich oils to try include rosehips, argan, baobab, jojoba, and palm oil. Organic shea butter, cocoa butter, murumuru butter, and aloe vera juice has also proven very effective for dry skin. Simply dab a couple drops onto your skin or blend oils with a small amount of water to use alone or layered under your usual moisturizer.

Since skin naturally flakes off to reveal healthier, more hydrated skin underneath, you can feel confident that better skin days are ahead of you. To get rid of loose flaky skin, try using a dry brush on your skin before getting into the shower. Avoid using harsh soaps during the winter, and opt for all-natural body scrubs to exfoliate your skin while nourishing it with moisturizing oils. Although hot showers feel amazing when you’re chilly, hot water actually worsens dry skin so turn the temperature down a couple notches.

Sometimes at the bottom of the ocean you come across tunnels beneath rock formations. This one was likely caused by the gradual excavation by currents over hundreds of years.  Normally I enjoy the solitude of slowly swimming through the almost absolute darkness and imagining the hidden creatures looking back at me along the way. Halfway through this particular tunnel, I decided to turn on the small focus light that sits on the camera housing which I normally use for night dives and discovered this family of juvenile (unknown species) orange fish hiding out in the center of the tunnel that were silently swimming along with me through the darkness.