Let’s just put it out there – winter and your skin can’t wait to “break up.” The season’s beauty vampires are out on the prowl – piercing winds, steamy saunas, dipping temperatures, and whipping cold air can do a number on your skin, leading to chapping, dryness, and irritation (ugh!). We are almost halfway past winter, but the torture is far from over.

Need quick fixes to bid winter woes goodbye? Well, the ultimate skin care treasure trove lies in your kitchen! Check out these ten little-known winter skin care secrets that will have you gleaming through the nippy days.

1. Wake up, smell the coffee!

Ever considered using these heavenly-smelling brown grounds leftover from your favorite brew to pamper your skin? That’s right! Those brown dregs sitting in your cup of Joe have a secret life beyond your coffee filter.

Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License

Grab a handful and scrub the crumbly goodness of used coffee grounds with a splash of warm olive oil all over your face and body for some natural exfoliation. The caffeine in the coffee grinds sloughs off dead skin cells, boosts circulation, and gently exfoliates your dull, winter skin to reveal a healthy glow.

Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License

Bonus beauty tip: Put together a DIY mocha-frappuccino facial mask for a quick perk up!

Whip up 2 tablespoons freshly ground coffee; 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; 3 tablespoons whole milk, heavy cream, or sour yoghurt; and 1 tablespoon honey. Massage this chocolicious mask on your skin in gentle upward strokes for 15-20 minutes, rinse off thoroughly, and voila! The coffee mask works incredibly well to liven up your complexion and helps reduce puffiness, while the cocoa, honey, and milk will add moisture to your skin. It works wonders on those dark circles under your eyes as well!

Who’d have thought a beverage could do so much good for your beauty? Your favorite bean just got even better!

2. Ice, ice baby!

Face it (pun intended) – we all want that complexion that “screams” rosy and dewy. For a perfect winter glow, all you need is an ice cube tray. Pour in some apple juice and freeze, then rub the ice cubes gently over your skin. The malic acid in the frozen juice is an anti-aging alpha-hydroxy acid – it’s just like a mini-facelift!

Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License

Variation: Boil some lemongrass in water and cool. Pour it in the ice tray and freeze. Pass the ice cube gently on your face. This improves blood circulation and keeps your skin healthy and hydrated.

3. Organic brown sugar scrub – a must-try!

Winter got your skin down? We’ve got the perfect skin pick-me-up scrub! Combine organic brown sugar with delicious-smelling vanilla, coconut, and essential oils like mint, orange and eucalyptus. Experiment and have fun!

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Variation: Mix 2 parts organic sugar to 1 part honey or oil (apricot kernel, extra virgin olive, coconut oils are great choices). For an aromatherapeutic effect, add a few drops of jojoba essential oil and jasmine extract. Then sugar to your facial cleanser for an exfoliating boost. Simply mix and store in your cupboard before using!

4. Body butters – your best bet!

Winters are incomplete without slathering on your favorite body butter before you step out of the house. Since it is heavier in consistency than body lotions, it is vital to look for the right ingredients for your skin.

Image source

If you have intense dry skin, delve in the goodness of mango body butter. Native to Asia, this luscious block of butter is enriched with Vitamins A and E. It contains natural emollient properties and high oxidative abilities, and has a protective effect against UV radiation.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Known to be the most decadent body butter, chocolate butter is a must-have if you are looking to even out your skin tone. It helps in eliminating free radicals that destroy skin cells, making your skin chocoliciously good! The oh-so-inviting aroma of chocolate body butter is also known to soothe the senses while hydrating your skin overnight.

Want to go for something more offbeat? Try lavender, shea, or cocoa butters.

5. Natural moisturizers

The best way to fix and protect winter skin is to seal it and heal it. Opt for a moisturizer that locks in moisture and provides some protection of the dermis to encourage healing, but still lets the skin breathe.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Look for moisturizers with natural penetration enhancers such as menthol and chamomile. Meanwhile, jasmine extract contains a variety of antioxidants that nourish your skin, imparting a healthy, vibrant glow.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Honey is a great humectant, which is the kind of moisturizer that absorbs water from air and binds it to skin, and has antimicrobial properties. Rubbing honey and salt on skin helps beat wrinkles. Also try aloe vera juice mixed with a few drops of jojoba oil, which offers a lipid barrier to prevent moisture loss.

6. Beauty oils

While you may be moisturizing your skin daily with creams and lotions, that may not be enough. Body oils bring your efforts one step further, lending the right amount of hydration and nourishment that your skin requires during the winter. Plant oils such as castor, jojoba, and coconut make excellent emollients because they mimic the soothing oils our own skin produces and softens, heals, and hydrates. These oils are not only incredibly emollient, they are also rich in antioxidants and great for the skin.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Massage a few drops of plant oil, such as extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil, over stubborn dry areas. Or go nuts for coconuts – coconut oil has been touted as the ultimate skin-saving miracle. To cure dry skin all over the body, mix a few drops of olive or grapeseed oil in bathwater and hop in, or apply a thin layer of oil to the body after showering.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Other great picks: Sweet almond, safflower, primrose, wheat germ, argan (lightweight and easily absorbed), grapeseed, apricot kernel, and soy oils.

Bonus tips: To give dry skin healthy, natural oil, try a weekly 15-minute mask of mashed avocado. Or massage a tablespoon of olive oil onto your face once a week, in lieu of your usual night cream.

7. Voila, vanilla!

Your feet need as much love and care as the rest of your body, especially during the winter. So, pamper them in style without blowing a bomb at a spa.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Try this vanilla treat to cure rough, callused feet. Boil 2 liters of whole milk until it thickens, then pour it in a large tub. Cool and add 3 drops of vanilla extract. Soak your happy feet in the tub for 15 minutes. Exfoliate your feet with a paste of coarse salt and cooking oil. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Round off this treatment with a circular massage using milk cream and fresh turmeric (haldi) pulp.

Bonus tips: Soak your feet in a solution with 250 ml hot water, 2 spoonfuls of sea salt, and a mixture of fresh herbs like lavender and thyme, for 15 minutes to disinfect and rejuvenate your feet.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

For another invigorating foot rub, mix half a teaspoon each of cider vinegar, lavender oil, and powdered alum, as well as 3 tablespoons sunflower oil in a glass bottle. Warm this over a pan of hot water. After cooling, scrub your feet with the mixture for instant exfoliation, and round off with a warm, gentle massage of almond and olive oil for a relaxing experience.

8. Star secrets

One quick (and delicious!) way to score Beyonce’s radiant complexion is cutting a strawberry in half and rubbing it in circles around your face. It evens out your skin tone and brightens age spots.

Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License

Meanwhile, using an exfoliating body scrub followed by a lotion containing glycolic or lactic acid will help you achieve Victoria Beckham’s smooth, flawless finish before the temperatures shoot up.

Hollywood bombshell Catherine Zeta-Jones may be the face of Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, but the gorgeous lady swears by this beauty secret – rubbing a mix of honey and salt on her skin to beat wrinkles!

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

As crazy as it may sound, adding a few cups of whole milk to bathwater can moisturize your skin. The proteins, fats, and vitamins in moo-juice can help soothe rough skin. Cleopatra did it – it’s your turn!

9. Don’t forget the year-round essentials

When your skin is flaky and dry, resist the urge to sandblast it off with harsh exfoliants. Give the ubiquitous apricot scrub a miss – reach for ground oatmeal instead, a natural exfoliant that’s gentle enough for sensitive winter skin. Work the oatmeal into a paste with a small amount of oil, and gently rub it across your face in circles.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

If you mist, then moisturize too. When you just spritz, the water evaporates on the skin, eventually drying it out. Look for a face mist with an emollient, like glycerin.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

If the cold winds are making your eyes look puffy, maximize the cucumber mask’s calming effect by shredding it — that way it will cover more of your puffy eyes than if it were in two slices. Wrap grated cucumber (ideally, chilled), sushi-style, in cheese cloth. Sit down, tilt your head back, and place the roll across your eyes.

Last but not least, boost your sunscreen by popping a pomegranate-extract supplement. It can enhance your skin’s sun-protective properties by 25%!

Bonus tip: For a moisturizing face mask, take a look in the kitchen before heading down the beauty aisle! Bananas, avocadoes, egg yolks, and milk can all make great moisturizing face treatments.

10. Quick fixes

Have an itchy, dry scalp? Nope, it’s not adult-onset lice. But a dry scalp is uncomfortable and just a wee bit annoying too. Before hopping in the shower, massage your scalp with Vitamin E, olive, or coconut oil and rinse out with apple cider vinegar.

Combine a scoop of sugar, a few glugs of olive oil, and a drizzle of lemon juice to make a quick scrub. Even shorter on time? Halve a lemon, add a smidgen of sugar or salt, and rub the surface over rough skin.

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

For chapped lips, slather on beeswax or a lip balm with lanolin, and keep reapplying through the day. Lanolin is a natural oily wax extracted from sheep’s wool that softens the skin and reduces evaporation, keeping the skin hydrated.

Looking a million bucks this winter – without spending so much as a single buck – was never so easy!

Featured image source: Shutterstock