Fall and winter exact the harshest seasonal treatment on our skin. The skin needs extra care to keep it moisturized during these seasons. Follow these fall and winter organic skin care tips to help your skin stay healthy and radiant throughout the holiday season and into the New Year.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Consuming plenty of water will help your skin stay hydrated. Take a bottle of water, juice or tea with you when you leave the house. When it’s cold, hot herbal tea can do wonders. Constant hydration will help your skin have a healthy glow even on winter’s harshest days.

2. Remove Dead Skin Cells with Exfoliation

Keep your skin feeling fresh by removing dead skin cells with a body or facial scrub. Expensive products aren’t necessary. Use a recipe that uses items you can find in your own kitchen to create an exfoliant.

3. Apply Organic Products to Moisturize

After you exfoliate your skin, the next step is to moisturize it. There are various organic skin moisturizers that are made from natural ingredients. These are free of harsh chemical preservatives that can harm your skin rather than help protect it.

4. Always Apply Sunscreen

Summer isn’t the only time you need to apply sunscreen when outdoors. Apply a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15. Sunscreens containing organic ingredients are on the market. Some sunscreens do double duty because they protect from the sun and contain moisturizing agents. A good sunscreen will protect your skin from the harsh environment.

5. Always Don Your Gloves

When your mother made a fuss about wearing gloves in the winter, she knew what she was talking about. Don’t leave home in the cold without a pair of gloves. Choose gloves that are made of hemp or other organic material. Gloves will protect your skin from the harsh elements as well as keep your hands dry and warm.

6. Use an Organic Oil Bath

You can hydrate your skin and relax your body with an organic bath oil. Calm your senses, relax your body, and nourish your skin simultaneously with a lavendar bath oil. Just adding a few drops of the oil to your bath water can work wonders after a long day at work or fighting the crowds when shopping.

7. Use Organic Lip Balm to Protect Your Lips

Your lips will often get chapped during fall and winter. Both the cold and the use of indoor heaters can cause lips to chap. Use an organic lip balm to help stave off chapping.. Make sure you keep a balm in your purse or pocket. After all, you never know when you’ll need one. Anyone who has suffered from chapped lips can tell you that lip balm is something one should never be without!

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live greener and more environmentally friendly lives. Learn more about green living at her blog on Green Sustainable Living.

This article was originally posted at Practicing Organic Skin Care in Fall and Winter.