The cold weather is often responsible for those annoying sore red patches and cracking skin. This is why it is essential to take care of your skin all year round. Here are 4 easy and natural ways to help you keep healthy and glowing skin during the colder months.

Avoid hot baths

During winter, we often wish to just soak up in a hot bath to get away from the cold. As relaxing as that might be, long showers and baths remove the natural moisturisers from our skin, resulting in it becoming very dry. To avoid this and help your skin keep those natural moisturisers, use lukewarm water and try to not take longer than 10 minutes in the shower.

Use olive oil

Because of the cold weather, and those long hot showers, the skin tends to become drier, this is why it's very important to moisturise it regularly- here's where olive oil gets handy. Because of its richness in vitamins A and E, it is a great natural moisturiser that will hydrate the skin. Before bathing, massage some olive oil into your skin for a few minutes and then rinse off. Once dry you will immediately feel your skin hydrated and soft.

Drink water

We've said it before and will keep saying it: water is vital for you. During the winter months, we drink less water because we are not as thirsty as we normally are during the sweaty summertime, and we'd rather drink hot beverages to keep warm. We must not forget though that, besides keeping hydrated, water is fundamental to keep the skin refreshed and clean. Keep a bottle of water close to you while at work or studying, as a constant reminder to drink - you'll be surprised by how much better your skin will feel when hydrated.

Exfoliate

In order for your skin to properly absorb moisturisers it needs to be exfoliated, so as to get rid of dead cells. There are different exfoliators available in the market that you can use, some in the form of cleaners and others as face masks - just find the one more suitable for your skin type, and don't forget to apply moisturiser right after. For a homemade body exfoliator and moisturiser, mix some sugar with coconut oil and scrub on the body after using your regular soap, rinse properly and pat dry with a towel.