Ole Henriksen's Winter Skincare Tips

With winter’s cold temperatures, in addition to bundling up and adding scarves and gloves to our wardrobe, our skin requires extra protection and comfort as well. Ole Henriksen, skincare guru and founder of the OLEHENRIKSEN skincare line and the OLEHENRIKSEN Spa in Los Angeles, CA shares his tips for weatherproofing your skin against the cold winter season:

• When showering have the water temperature be pleasantly warm, but not hot. Hot water is very drying on skin.
• Avoid using a body brush with sharp bristles in cold weather because it will strip your skin of its natural oils. For exfoliation, the key is to use a body scrub that thoroughly removes dead and dry skin cells, while leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated, such as the OLEHENRIKSEN rub n’ buff salt scrub. Apply by wetting your entire body and then turn off your water. Massage the scrub into your skin in long, soothing, yet firm motions. By avoiding any running water during the activation of the scrub, you maintain the density of the formulation, while not wasting any product by seeing it run down the drain.
• After showering, give your skin an added boost of moisture, by applying an extremely thin layer of a body oil, such as the OLEHENRIKSEN lavender body oil, prior to applying body lotion. It will add luminosity and ensure skin remains moist and nourished around the clock.
• Your hands also require special attention in cold weather. At night, exfoliate hands with a scrub followed by an application of hand cream. It will leave your hands and cuticles feeling incredibly soft.
• When you cleanse your skin, regardless of skin type, it is very important that you use luke warm water as opposed to hot water. That is the first step toward guarding your complexion against unnecessary dryness. Activating your cleanser with a soft, round flat vegetable sponge is a great way to gently eliminate any dead skin cells, and get circulation going. Avoid thick face clothes, since they don't glide gracefully across the face and neck, and often have a coarse texture.
• Using creams that contain higher concentrations of essential fatty acids is the best way to maintain a soft and glowing complexion in even the coldest of environments. Oils like sunflower seed, grapeseed, black currant, hazelnut, avocado, sesame, almond and wheat germ all have a high content of essential fatty acids and are known for their ability to comfort, soothe and protect skin. Fats do not freeze in cold weather, unlike water and water based extracts, so they will help maintain a velvety skin texture and prevent capillary breakage.

All OLEHENRIKSEN products are available at www.olehenriksen.com.