How to Treat Dry Skin in Winter Naturally

Dry skin is a common issue that many people face, especially during the winter months. How to treat dry skin in the winter is a question with many answers. However, we have a natural cure that you may want to try.

Dry skin occurs when your skin fails to retain adequate moisture. Contrary to the belief that summer heat causes the most dry skin, it’s actually the lack of humidity during the winter. Cold air holds less moisture.

In winter, your skin faces constant challenges. Cold temperatures and harsh winds outdoors, along with dry heat indoors, can result in scaly, dry, and cracked skin. However, we have the perfect answer to how to treat dry skin in winter: a homemade olive oil and herb-infused salve that locks in moisture while rejuvenating and healing dry winter skin. This gentle remedy can be used anywhere on your body.

Although infused herbal oils are available for purchase online, creating your own allows customization and adaptation to suit your skincare requirements. By transforming herbal oil into a salve, it provides a mess-free application that can be conveniently carried in your pocket or purse.

Extra virgin olive oil – a rich green oil derived from pressed ripe Mediterranean olives – is not only excellent for its culinary properties but also treasured as an effective moisturizer and skin softener. Its promotion of healthy skin and healing makes this vitamin and mineral-rich oil an ideal base for body care products. It serves as the perfect carrier oil for infusing herbs and crafting a beneficial skin salve. Alternatively, macadamia nut oil can be used as a substitute or combined with olive oil in this infusion.

Herbs for Infusing and Making Skin Salve

These herbs are ideal for incorporating into an oil and soothing skin salve. Choose one or a combination of these:

Calendula flowers – very healing, great for sensitive skin
Chickweed – soothing, especially for irritated skin
Comfrey leaf/root – healing for many skin conditions
Lavender flowers – gentle, soothing, healing, great for various skin conditions and sensitive skin
Nettle leaf – heals various skin conditions
Parsley – soothing, healing for psoriasis and irritable skin conditions

Learn how to easily dry and preserve homegrown herbs for winter use.

Phase 1 – Infusing Herbs Into Olive Oil Using The Crockpot Method

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried herbs (using a single herb or desired combination of herbs from list above)
2 cups of extra virgin olive oil (you can also use Macadamia nut oil, if desired)

Directions:

Place dried herbs in a crockpot or an electric yogurt maker, and cover with olive oil. Add extra oil if necessary to ensure that the herbs are submerged in the oil. Heat the herbs on the lowest setting for one to five hours, until the oil takes on the scent and color of the herbs.

Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool. Once cool, strain the herbs from the oil, using a cheesecloth-lined strainer, into a sterilized dark bottle to store.

Phase 2 – Transforming Infused Herbal Oil into Salve

Ingredients:

8 ounces herbal infused oil (from Phase 1)
1 ounce beeswax
Vitamin E oil capsule
15 drops of fragrant essential oils, optional
Small glass or tin containers with lids

Directions:

Place herb infused oil and beeswax in a double boiler and warm over low heat to melt the beeswax. Turn off the heat once the beeswax has melted. Open one vitamin E capsule and pour its contents into the pot. Add 15 drops of essential oil, if desired, and stir to combine.

Pour the salve into containers. Allow to cool and solidify overnight.

To use: For best results apply the salve to damp skin after showering or after washing your hands to help retain moisture.

Notes on storage: Keep salve away from direct heat in a cool place to prevent re-melting.

Related:

8 Ways to combat dry skin

How to tell if you are dehydrated

15 Cooking oils and their uses