Tips for a Glowing Skin This Harmattan!

Hydrate

Hydrating is important during harmattan, since we tend to loose a lot of water quickly, cos the air is dry, low humidity and all that. With the cold breeze and air, the thirst for water goes low, but you need to drink more water to stay hydrated. We need to drink atleast 8 glasses of water daily or more depending on your body mass, and if you can't drink more water, eat water. Yes, eat water, there are many fruits with high water content and they make up for some amount of water your skin needs.

Tip :  Drink warm water.

Moisturise/ Lock in Moisture

Using the right moisturiser is important, avoid body creams and lotions with alcohol content and skin bleaching lotions, they rob your skin of it's natural oils, and you definitely don't want that during harmattan. Use creamy moisturisers, containing natural body butters like sheabutter, cocoa butter, mango butter and coconut oil. If you have a body lotion or cream that you really love and works for your skin alright but doesn't do much help during harmattan and you would still love to use it, you can tweek it a little or make your own natural moisturiser at home. 

Locking in moisture is also very important, you do that by simply and immediately applying your moisturiser right after shower, just after you pat your skin dry. The moisturiser will help lock in the mositure on your skin.

Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliating means to remove dead skin cells from the skins surface. It is important to atleast exfoliate your skin twice a week to keep your skin fresh, smooth and glowing. You can buy facial scrubs, or prepare your own at home with brown sugar, honey and lemon. Exfoliating also helps with reducing acne, just be careful not to overdo it, especially when exfoliating your face.

Lip Balms/Hand Creams

Invest in moisturising lip balms to keep your lips from drying and cracking, which can sometimes bleed if not cared for properly. There is a huge difference between lip gloss and a lip balm, the lip gloss is more of a beauty purpose while lip balm is for protecting and healing the lips. You can apply lip balm before applying your normal everyday lipstick, then add a little of lip gloss for a shiny finish.

Your hands are vunerable during this season, invest in good hand creams, moisturising ones, apply in the morning, during the day and at night before you go to bed.

Choose Safe Products

Harmattan is not a time to use alcohol base products and astringent content face cleansers and body wash. Opt for mild products, moisturing soaps and body creams. Avoid products that has a whole lot in the ingredient list, stay safe with known and few ingredient list on body products.