Keeping Moisturized Through The Winter

As winter hits and we find ourselves spending more hours indoors, there are certain changes we can make in our health and beauty routine to keep our skin in tip top shape. With plummeting temperatures and humidity levels, we all realize the increased need for additional moisturizers for our skin and lips. Most of us love the feel of a nice long steamy shower on a cold winter’s day, but that only leads to more dryness. So limiting hot water exposure and slathering on a healthy coat of moisturizer immediately after bathing helps to replenish the lost moisture.

Other, less obvious, winter issues include an ongoing and possibly increased need for topical and oral antioxidants. Most of the antioxidants we consume come from our diets in the form of fruits and vegetables. Depending on where we live, our sources of antioxidant rich foods may be reduced. A fresh red tomato plucked from your backyard garden, or purchased from the local farmer’s market contains a higher level of antioxidants when compared to one that was picked while green, traveled over 1,500 miles and then sits in the stores for days prior to your purchase.

We consulted Dr. Melinda Greenfield, owner of the Albany Dermatology Clinic in Albany, Georgia and online beauty store skincareanthology.com regarding her top picks for supplementing antioxidants. Her suggestions come in the form of “tea and coffee” but not in the way you’d imagine those sources. “Green tea is a well-known, phenomenal source of antioxidants”, says Greenfield “but drinking 8-10 cups daily to get the antioxidant benefits is sometimes a bit cumbersome”. She prefers the easy to use concentrated source of green tea from Pure Inventions®. These drops are packed with polyphenols and EGCG, which are the direct source of antioxidants found in green tea. “One dropper full provides a full 100 mg of green tea extract which is equivalent to 8-10 cups of fresh brewed green tea”. These drops come in a variety of flavors and taste great, and have been a top seller in her practice and online store for years. They can be put in your water bottle to enhance the flavor of your water or added to your hot tea for a boost of flavor.

The coffee part of the “tea and coffee” combination comes in the form of a topical coffee berry product. “REVALESKIN® has developed a wonderful line of antioxidant skin care product based on the coffee berry whole fruit extract” states Greenfield. “The benefits of the coffeeberry® was discovered when it was noted that the arms and hands of coffee harvesters remained youthful in appearance despite spending hours in the direct sun while working the fields.” Years of research yielded an advanced skincare line boasting the highest levels of antioxidants available. The Revaleskin line features a full array of products which include a daily moisturizer containing sunscreen, eye cream, a brightening complex and skin firming serum. The line, which is only available through purchase through a physician, can be purchased online at skincareanthology.com.

So, when contemplating your health and beauty regimen this winter, realize that there is more to “tea and coffee” than what’s in your daily cup.