It is a common fact that excessive sun exposure can be damaging to your skin. However, cold weather can take its toll on your skin, too, especially if you have sensitive or dry skin. The lower temperatures outside, increased windiness and the fact you are turning up the thermostat in your home can all make your skin chapped, flaky, blotchy, dry and itchy.

During the summer, we are more prone to take care of our skin because of the constant need for topical relief measures such as sunscreen and insect repellent. However, the winter is the season when our skin actually needs the most extra care. To help your skin to survive the brutality of the season, keep in mind the following simple winter skin care tips:

1. Continue to use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or better. Although you may not feel it as much, the sun can be just as powerful when reflecting off the snow or while taking a long walk outdoors as it is on a summer day at the beach. A convenient suggestion is to use a moisturizer or foundation with a built-in sunscreen everyday.

2. Use a mild cleanser as opposed to soap, which can strip your skin of the essential oils it needs.

3. Though you may not be as thirsty as during the summer, continue to drink lots of water to provide the necessary hydration to your skin.

4. Avoid products with high alcohol content, heavy perfumes or other additives that can irritate your sensitive, dry skin.

5. During the cold weather, you might want to try using a thicker, richer moisturizer, two to three times per day, to help your skin to adequately replenish the moisture it loses.

6. Gently exfoliate your skin to remove the dead surface skin cells than can form due to excessive dryness.

7. Remember your lips are also part of the skin on your face so use a soothing lip balm or moisturizing lipstick, preferably with a sunscreen.

8. Try to keep an anti-itch cream on hand to apply to excessively dry patches that occur despite taking the above suggestions, so that you can moisturize these tender areas to avoid scratching and prevent infection.

By taking a few common sense winter skin care precautions, you can be as happy and beautiful in the winter as you are during the summer.

The Author: Ryan Cote is the owner of ChinaDollSkin.com, a website offering a spa-quality, natural skin care product line that will make your skin as smooth as porcelain.

Do you instantly jump inside the cosmetic store after seeing the advertisement of a newly launched beauty care product? Don’t feel embarrassed as there are many people like you. They just love to experiment with each and every cosmetic product for their skin enhancement.

But do these products always help in skin enhancement? Did you ever notice the ingredients of those chemical cosmetics before laying hands over them? Have you ever tried to find out the results of those chemicals on your skin?

Well, you never know if your skin is adapting to the application of those cosmetics or building a resistance towards them. The later case can also enhance the prospects of skin cancer. The chemicals like methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben are absorbed into the skin, which can even cause skin cancer in the extreme cases. There are ample alternatives to the chemically produced cosmetics for a great looking skin.

You can move towards a healthier skin care with the help of some remarkable herbal skin care products and herbs. Certain herbs are known to produce magnificent glow on the skin with in a few days of their application. These herbs are easily available in the market. In fact, herbal beauty treatment has become a major alternative to cosmetic skin care treatments. For, the herbal products are manufactured with natural essence of the herbs and they do not cause any side effects on the skin. Today herbal skin care offers viable solutions to every skin problem. And your skin can retain the natural charm once again, if you start using the herbal products.

One fine example of herbal skin care success is the usage of Aloe Vera plant. It is one herbal plant that caters to numerous skin care aspects. First of all, it is a great natural moisturizer which can be used in any season, on any skin type. Another magical quality of Aloe Vera is that it helps in the reduction of sunburns.

You can grow this wonder plant of Aloe Vera in your home as well, and can use it for personal purposes. All you need to do is break the branch of the plant from the top and apply the gel (which pops out from the branch itself) on to your skin. You can also purchase the Aloe Vera gel from the market, but you would have to ensure that the product you buy contains 100% Aloe Vera.

The application of essential oils has its own special place in the skin care. The application of different oils helps in retaining and improving the health and texture of your skin and hair. One such oil, that is, Lavender oil is well-known for its mesmerizing fragrance along with its anti-allergic properties. If you develop a rash on your skin, just massage the oil on that particular area and you would get a sought relief from the rash.

Also, several researches reveal the fact that herbal tea and black tea act as a natural sunscreen lotion. When they are blanched in water and applied, the skin glows with an instant radiance and change in complexion.

Ayurveda, the traditional Indian science about complete balance of life, is also a great way to explore some amazing herbal treatments for skin care. The remedies are simple but their affect is simply out of the world. It provides certain herbal acne treatment that can cure your acne without leaving the acne marks on your skin.

The first principal of Ayurveda is to drink a lot of water for body detoxification. Secondly, eating protein rich food like soy and peas is essential for you as they provide effective treatment against grave acne problems. Thirdly, to avoid wrinkles you can try a procedure: apply egg yolk on your face once in a week for ten times to reduce the deep wrinkles. A mixture of honey, olive oil and fresh cream is also a successful alternative against the wrinkles.

If dark circles beneath eyes irritate you, try out the herbal kits available for dark circle riddance. You can purchase the kits from any herbal medicine or skin care store. You can also order it online. Likewise, there are thousands of herbal solutions to keep your skin forever young without the adverse impact of chemicals.

The Author: Burt Cotton http://www.anti-aging-skin-care-product.org

Everyone is familiar with facial acne and back acne, but what is Acne Keloidalis Nuchae? Acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN), also often termed as razor bumps, is a type of papule that usually appears on the neck, nape or beard area. Improper shaving of facial and body hair commonly causes AKN.

Shaving is the most common solution to removing hairs. After a few days, you might notice some reddening and itching on the shaved area. Shaving causes the end of the hair to be really sharp. Sharp enough to cause skin irritation. When hair grows and curves back, it can hit the skin and cause AKN, which is also a type of skin inflammation. AKN breeds when hair tries to grow back and meet some foreign body like dirt. If not treated immediately, this can lead to harder bumps that usually appear in the beard and neck area.

The best way to prevent AKN is to simply avoid shaving. It this can’t be done at least follow some pre-shaving regimen. You can soften your hair by using a washcloth drenched in hot water for five minutes. Preshave solution can also help the skin prepare for shaving. You can also opt to purchase lubricating shaving gel or oil. If you have a severe case of AKN, head on to your dermatologist and he can prescribe a medicated shaving solution.

When shaving, stroke in only one direction. Avoid stretching your skin. Do not use multiple strokes while shaving on the same area. Using an electric shaver rather than razor is also advisable. Try not to shave too closely to the surface of your skin. If you are used to shaving everyday, try to change your shaving schedule to at least three or four times a week.

If your dermatologist agrees, you can also try to use “shaving” chemicals that are available in the market. These products can remove facial and body hairs without actually shaving them. They contain calcium thioglycolate and/ or barium sulfide depilatories, which can dissolve hair easily so that shaving would be unnecessary. It is important to read through the packaging information of these kinds of products as they may cause chemical burns to individuals with sensitive skin.