Winter Skin

Winter is the hardest time of year on the skin.  From long, hot showers to the forced air in your home and car to the rough scratchy clothes we wear to keep warm, our skin is under assault.  Here are a few tips to keep the moisture in the air and in your skin.

Make Soup - No seriously.  Homemade soup is a great way to humidify your home.  Putting on a brothy soup on a low temperature for several hours raises the humidity in your house.  My favorite is Chicken Noodle soup.  You can see the recipe below.

If you don't like soup you can boil water on the stove.  I like to put an orange and cinnamon stick into the water to fragrance the air.

WARNING:  Be sure to watch your pots.  Don't leave them on while you are not in the house and never leave them on while you sleep.

Moisturizer -   The best time to moisturize your skin is right after a bath or hand-washing.  The moisturizer locks in the moisture that is left with the water, making it even more effective.  Simply wash and dry your hands as you normally would and then put a dab of moisturizer on your hands.  Make sure to take off your rings before doing this.  (You don't want to make your "bling" look cloudy.)  Rub into the backs of the hands first being sure to cover all the natural lines in your hands.  Then do your palms.

If moisturizing before bed, sometimes it is helpful to wear a pair of cotton gloves over the moisturized hands.  this keeps the moisture where you want it, on your hands, and not on your sheets or face.

Of course, I have several moisture remedies in my on-line store, so please take a look.  

Lemons -  Petroleum jelly is often used to soften elbows and knees.  Simply apply it to the problem area before bed and let it soak in. But, another sharp little tool is the lemon.  Really.  Cut a lemon in half and rub it for 1 - 2 minutes on each trouble spot.  This moisturizes and exfoliates because of the acids and oils in the lemon.  It's amazing!

Exfoliation - And speaking of exfoliation...your shower scrubby can be your best defense against all-over dry skin.  While you don't want to over exfoliate (only 1 -2 times per week for actual exfoliation treatments like sea salt scrubs and such) a soft shower scrubby can keep your skin clear of dry patches in between times.

Cool it down -  Try to cool down your shower.  Taking blazing hot showers may feel good in the short term, but it robs your body of valuable moisture in the long term.  Also, keep you thermostat set at a reasonable temperature.  Anything over 70 degrees and you may be drying your skin out just by being in the house.

Drink lots of water - Water is your best friend.  Now, my husband seems to think it's the cure for everything, including bad moods.  But, I assure you, if you drink enough water, you will see a difference in your skin and in your energy level.  It's remarkable.  

How much water is enough?  Well, most people think that 64 oz. of water a day is enough. But, you may need more.  I had a Yoga instructor one time who told me that I needed to take my weight and divide it in half and that is the number of ounces of water I needed per day.  For me, that's a lot.  But when I get it all in, I feel great and I look great.  Try it!

Make today a beautiful day and take care of yourself!

Chicken Noodle Soup (from scratch - sort of)

Take a left over rotisserie chicken and put it in a pot  (you can also use a whole fryer that has never been cooked, you'll have more meat in your soup that way - but this is a nice way to dispose of left overs)

Cover it with water

Add:

2 Carrots cut into 1 inch pieces

1 stalk Celery cut into1 inch pieces

1/2 Large Vidalia Onion - whole or chopped

1-2 Tbsp of white wine or vinegar

Bring this to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer and simmer this mixture uncovered over low heat for 2-3 hours.

Drain the chicken into another pan, reserving all of the broth you have just made.  Let the chicken cool.

You can either throw out the veggies or put them back into the pot with the broth, as you wish.  As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, strip all the meat from it and put the meat into the broth.  Bring the broth back to a boil.  You may need to add bouillon or stock to the broth to bump the taste up a notch.  Use your own judgment.  

Once the broth is boiling again, add a 1 lb. package of egg noodles.  My favorite are medium or wide Amish style noodles or kluski, if I am not making my own.

Boil the noodles in the broth for as long as it takes them to cook (see the package for directions) and then serve it up.  

Serves 4 really hungry people or 6 sort of hungry people or 8 people who eat like sparrows.