We’ve previously shared our best tips for creating a winter skincare routine with Botnia, adding in nourishing and skin-protecting occlusives and emollient products. This is one time of the year we recommend adding in an extra layer of skincare - to help protect your skin from the harsh winter elements. And if you don’t yet have a favorite moisturizer, here’s how to choose a Botnia Face Cream for warm winter climates and cold winter climates.

In addition to adding a face cream to your skincare routine, we’re here to layer in caring for your skin when you’re sick and under the weather or if your skin’s acting out due to stress from this busy time of year.

*Cough cough* I’m sick…

Being sick is no fun - your body isn’t performing at its optimum levels, leaving your skin feeling lackluster, sallow, dry, red, and irritated. Common colds and cases of flu can dry out the skin not only because of the external environment but also because your body is prioritizing its other functions to help you heal. Also, your body deprioritizes your skin since it’s not technically an “essential” function of your immune system. If you’re blowing your nose often or coughing, you may see dry, flaky skin, or redness with capillaries visible from constant rubbing on those areas. When the immune system is weakened, you may notice more sensitivity in the skin and dark under-eye circles as well. Medications can also be a contributing factor to these symptoms in the skin when you’re sick.

How to remedy sick skin with Botnia

While you’re in the thick of being sick, rest and getting fluids into your system are the most important remedies to get better. You might not feel energetic enough to add any extra steps into your skincare routine (and might even skip it altogether), but if you can, having a hydrosol next to your bedside table, like our Rose Geranium Hydrosol, and spraying it throughout the day will help maintain the water content in your tissues. Changing up your pillowcase will also help to keep germs off your skin. Hold off on dry brushing for the time being until you’re better. You probably also won’t be seeing your esthetician when you’re ill, so keeping a simple and gentle routine will help maintain your skin as you recover.

Once you’re on the mend, if you’re still seeing dry and dehydrated skin, add in a mask like our gently exfoliating Essential Enzymes and a vitamin-rich, nutrient-dense powdered mask (we love Kale Mask!) to nourish and replenish your skin with healthy vitamins and minerals. For additional support, you can even mix Soothing Repair Mask into the mix, or as the base instead of the Essential Enzymes as a souped up deeply hydrating mask that’ll help bring your skin back to health. Try it as an overnight mask and wake up with plump, dewy skin.

Argh… I’m stressed!

Stressed skin can result in breakouts, increased sebum production, thin skin under the eyes, broken capillaries around the cheeks, inflamed red patches, premature aging, and increased sensitivity in the skin - plus your skin may heal much more slowly if wounded. If you already have acne, eczema, or psoriasis, you may notice a worsening of these skin conditions. This is due to the increased levels of cortisol pumping through your body. We also share how our body systems react to stress on our blog post here.

How to remedy stressed skin with Botnia

To combat breakouts, add in Clarity Oil or use our Sulfur Mask mixed with your favorite mask base.

If you’re seeing more redness and inflammation, the Kale Mask or Flower Mask are great antioxidant masks that also help stressed skin. When combined with Essential Enzymes as a base, the pomegranate enzymes help to protect the skin from environmental damage and support skin cell regeneration.

If you’re experiencing dry, dehydrated skin, have a hydrosol available to spritz throughout the day and pair it with our Hydrating Serum to bring moisture back into your skin. 

If you need additional support for the skin, you can always reach out to us for recommendations. Working with a Botnia esthetician near you can also be a great resource.

Our goal is to bring homeostasis back to your body and skin - especially when you’re recovering from an illness; being gentle with yourself this time of year will help in this process. We share our guide to managing the nervous system during Christmas and ringing in a stress-free New Years on our blog. Getting plenty of rest, drinking water, and eating nourishing foods will also help to keep your batteries going and skin glowing during the most wonderful time of the year!