The way you apply and use your skincare products needs to change with the seasons.
While this is generally easier to do in the summer, in the winter it’s a completely different story. The drop in temperatures can often have a negative effect on the skin of many women. Turning it from being plump and hydrated, to desert dry and flaky in just a matter of days.
In winter, there is usually less moisture in the air too, due to environmental and weather conditions.
When you also include indoor elements like central heating and that women tend to wear more layers of clothing, it is easy to see how the damage can get done.
If this is something you can relate to, in this article we will highlight 8 winter skincare tips you need to know.
Follow these tips and you should sail through winter with nearly flawless skin.
Why is winter bad for my skin?
The harsher elements of winter make it much more difficult for our skin to preserve its natural protective oils.
When exposed to it, dry and cold air become common irritators to your skin, causing moisture to evaporate from it and create a dry and cracked surface.
In this situation, it is easy for conditions like eczema or rosacea to flare up. Thankfully, there are a few ways to tackle the causes of dry winter skin to help keep your skin smooth, silky and soft all winter long.
One of the key things you can do to maintain skin health during winter is to get on top of skin moisture.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire skincare regime during these colder months. However, you should focus more on hydrating varieties of your favorite products and reduce the use of products that are likely to cause irritation.
Fewer daylight hours, less exercise, a diet heavy in carb-centric comfort foods and a body clothed in thick multi-layers all exacerbate our winter skincare woes.
So, if you play to winter’s strengths and make the most of the extra time spent inside to pamper yourself, your skin will not only thrive in winter. But it will also be easier to get it in peak condition for the spring and summer months.
Tips and tricks for better winter skin
So how do you do this? Here are 8 tips and tricks you can embrace for better winter skin.
1. Use a humidifier
By restoring moisture in the air and keeping humidity at an ideal level of around 40-60%, humidifiers will help protect your skin barrier when you’re indoors.
The built-in technology from humidifiers not only prevents your skin from drying, it also can help loosen congestion, relieve the symptoms of asthma and allergy, eradicate germs from spreading and even help your partner to stop snoring!
Most places, including your office, are warmed with dry heat, which unfortunately dries out your skin. Therefore, using a cool, mist-style humidifier can balance ambient humidity levels which in turn helps to keep your skin hydrated.
2. Avoid taking very hot showers
During winter, it is very tempting to crank up the heat.
However, this is something you should avoid doing because hot water strips oils from your skin and thus renders it more open to drying out, flaking and cracking.
Try to balance the level of warmth in the shower to preserve any bit of skin moisture you can.
3. Moisturize when your skin is still damp
After face washing, apply a hydrating lotion, serum and then moisturizer. If you have had a warm shower, slather on a body oil or lotion to help lock in additional moisture.
Try to use a thicker style moisturizer for the face and body at night as this will help retain and seal moisture within the skin.
Also, avoid harsh cleansers on the face in winter and try to stick to a gentle, hydrating and fragrance-free cleanser for daily use to cleanse and remove makeup.
A serum which has a lipid-soluble base allows the active ingredients to penetrate deep into the skin’s layers instead of sitting on the surface. So, it is worthwhile incorporating this into your routine.
It is also worth using products with Vitamin A, as this accelerates skin renewal and exfoliates to encourage collagen and elastin production. Similarly, Vitamin C is seen as the ultimate hydrating serum. This power-house serum is bursting with antioxidants to boost collagen and elastin.
By adding a hydrating facial mask to your skincare routine, you will also give your skin a deeper drink of moisture – which it can only benefit from during the winter months.
4. Look after your lips
Lips can get incredibly dry during the winter, as they are also constantly exposed to the elements.
The layers of skin around them are much thinner than the rest of your body. It also has no oil glands to naturally help it stay moisturized. So, you will need to be extra mindful to take very good care of them during the colder months.
Adding moisture via an ointment, balm or lip oil with SPF is an easy way to replenish and hydrate this sensitive area, stopping them from being constantly cracked and dry in winter.
5. Drink lots of water
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated, regardless of the time of the year.
But during winter it is especially so, as our skin can’t retain the moisture levels as well as it can in the warmer months.
For this reason, try and drink at least 2 liters a day as this will help to replenish some of that lost hydration.
6. Take not of the ingredients in your skincare
You may have a favourite moisturiser that you stick to all year round. But in winter it’s a good time to revisit your product’s ingredient lists to ensure that they are ultra-nourishing for your skin during these months.
A star ingredient to look out for is hyaluronic acid. It is perfect for hydration as it can hold up to 1000x its weight in water. Peptides and Ceramides are also good as they restore and strengthen your skin barrier and help to retain your overall moisture levels.
Squalene, jojoba and shea are also other excellent ingredients that help your skin stay hydrated.
Unless you exfoliate, dry skin will remain that way. So, try a scrub with lactic acid, as this will act as an exfoliant and humectant, remove dead skin cells and draw moisture into the skin.
Even in winter, the sun’s UVB rays are still present. Therefore, the potential for sunburn remains as the sun’s rays reflect through clouds, windows and off the water.
Sunburn ages your skin. So, remember to maintain your application of SPF 30+ each morning and reapply if you’re doing any outdoor activities.
7. Hand Care
The Covid-19 pandemic reiterated the importance of regularly washing your hands. However, while it might protect you from illness, doing this is not the best for your skin.
During the winter, it is no longer enough to just apply a hand cream in the morning and be done with it. Instead, it is a good idea to always keep a handy-size tube of hand cream on you. That way, you will be able to reapply whenever you need it.
Should you want that extra boost to your hand care, a cuticle oil once a day will help keep your nails in superb shape all season long.
8. Seek a skin treatment
Should all else fail, you might consider seeking a professional skin treatment.
There are several you can choose from including chemical peels, laser skin rejuvenation, microdermabrasion and dermal fillers. All of these have their pros and cons, which you will need to weigh up before deciding to proceed.
If you haven’t tried it, many women have seen the benefits of Bio-remodelling treatments like this one, so that is something you might want to look into as well.
In Summary
Dry skin is very common in the winter months as a result of cold, harsh winds outside and also drier, heated indoor spaces. The top tips to care for your skin in winter are to protect, nourish and not neglect it.
Maintaining your water drinking levels to keep your skin staying hydrated and soft is very important too.
Other things you should do are swap out your skincare products for ones that won’t strip the natural facial oils. Also, wash your face in lukewarm water, use gentle cleansers, apply nourishing serums and use richer moisturizers to give your face deep nourishment.
By using a body scrub or polish you can also exfoliate and slew off flaky and dry skin and stimulate circulation. Additionally, body butter is an excellent way to hydrate the skin in winter and should be applied on damp skin to lock in moisture after showering.
Do all this and you can confidently say goodbye to dry, flaky winter skin.
