Winter Prep : 4 Steps to Boost Your Immunity

As the cooler months are around the corner (Yep Autumn is officially here), it's time to look closely at our inner health & strengthen our immunity to prepare for the change in season.

Now is the perfect time to start dosing up on that extra vitamin C, or maybe thinking about adding in a richer moisturiser to combat the dry & compromised winter skin woes. Here are our top tips to prep YOU, and your skin, for the season ahead.

Boost Your Immune System

Our best defense for warding off those winter bugs is a healthy & strong immune system. We also know a weakened immune system can wreak havoc on our skin (Ever notice cracked lips, flaky skin or for some a pesky cold sore popping up?). 

Vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc are our nutrient superheroes of strong immunity.

Introducing the new Immune Food Inner Beauty Support from The Beauty Chef. A bio-fermented mushroom powder with zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D to help immune system function and general wellbeing. With Certified Organic turkey tail and shiitake, plus prebiotic green banana starch and probiotics to support gut health—where over 70% of your immune system lies. 

Prepare Your skin

Cracked, dry & sensitised skin can be common over Autumn and Winter. This is due to the decrease in humidity levels as well as the exposure to indoor heating. In fact, your skin loses more than 25 percent of its ability to hold moisture in the winter, eek! Once the skins natural barrier is weakened it can be difficult to restore the skins moisture levels and maintain them. Start early by opting for a nourishing moisturiser along with a hydrating serum to keep the skin protected from the outside. 

Our top picks:

Dry skin: Intensive Moisture Balance

Sensitized/redness: Bf Restore Face & Body Serum

Dehydrated: Skin Hydrating Booster

Body: Phyto Replenish Body Oil 

Dry lips: Hurraw Balm

We all know how important it is for the health of our skin to nourish from within as well! Along with eating a varied diet rich in superfoods, we can help to strengthen and support our skin with the help of supplements & elixirs. 

Nourish from within: As well as contributing to immune system function, vitamin C contributes to collagen formation and helps to protect the skin from free radical damage, while zinc supports healthy hair and nails. Flora Culture - The Beauty Chef’s unique bio-fermentation process within the new Immune Food supercharges our wholefood ingredients, making them more bioavailable and creates a natural, broad-spectrum probiotic with postbiotic compounds. Their exclusive probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, contributes to a healthy gut, digestive wellbeing and skin health. 

Hydrate from within: It goes without saying, drink lots of water! Herbal teas & hot honey & lemon drinks are a great way to up your water intake in winter. Supercharge your water by adding in The Beauty Chef Hydration Elixir, a bio-fermented elixir to replenish thirsty, lacklustre skin from within and nourish your gut. Still with coconut water, now with added magnesium for electrolyte balance, cucumber water, finger lime and trace minerals.

Find Winter Alternatives

It can be harder to keep up those good habits you’ve worked so hard on over Summer as the colder weather makes us want to reach for those comfort foods & skip the early morning workouts. Try and find alternatives that work well in winter to keep those healthy habits up, such as warming wholefood recipes, indoor exercise routines & gut nourishing hot drinks like bone broth or miso soup. Click here for an incredible Be Pure immune boosting elixir recipe we know you will love!

Stress Less

We know, this one can be the hardest and is easier said than done. We recommend finding regular activities that you enjoy which can help ease stress such as slow yoga, meditation or simply getting outside in nature. Studies also show that getting your recommended 7-9 hours of restful sleep per night can lower stress levels. Find it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep? You’re not alone. NZ soil lacks magnesium, meaning most NZer’s are deficient in this essential nutrient. BePure Deep Sleep was carefully researched and formulated to provide powerful support for deep, nourishing sleep. Champions of calm; Magnesium, lavender, chamomile and passionflower are teamed up with Californian poppy, L-theanine and tart cherry to help you fall, and stay peacefully asleep. Perfect for anyone who may be experiencing anxiety and/or have trouble sleeping at night. Particularly for those who are stressed, have a racing mind, gut issues, low mood and brain fog.