Banish winter skin blahs – tips from Chantale

Like many sole proprietors, Chantale Doine survived the turbulent economic times of the past year “thanks to the loyalty of my clients.” The esthéticienne, who is originally from Nantes, France, has been offering skin care treatments at Chantale’s European Skin Care in Menlo Park for 10 years but has worked in the field for 30 years. “I love Menlo Park and the faithful and friendly people who come to me for my services.” We stopped by recently to seek her advice on winter skin care and got some insider tips on easy homemade remedies to combat dryness:

“Water, water, water! In winter we tend to drink less water than other months. But water is a great skin care regimen, rehydrating internal tissues and muscles, therefore toning the skin. Drink at least two quarts of water a day and put a mineral water of your choice in a small spray bottle that you can use to vaporize, even over  make up.

“Twice a week exfoliate your skin with a commercial scrub. That eliminates flaky and dead skin cells. A simple homemade exfoliation is natural yogurt spread on your entire face and neck for 15 minutes, rinsed with cool water, followed by a mask or moisturizer.

“After exfoliation, apply a mask on your neck, face and hands. This will restore moisture and revitalize the skin. Commercial masks are wonderful but you can also rehydrate your skin with an easy homemade mask. My favorite is crushed avocado applied for 15 minutes.”

Photo by Chris Gulker