Even if winter is close, you may not feel very festive. But you know what they say, to appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, you need to stand out in the cold. Even in a pandemic year, winter has its unique charm.
It doesn’t sound so bad to isolate at home with your family during the holiday season, binge watch Netflix shows, and drink hot chocolate. But every time you get out of the house for walking your dog or shopping for groceries, the cold wreaks havoc on your skin.
The brisk air plunders the natural moisture from your skin and leaves it itchy, red, and dry. If you have sensitive skin, you can even experience psoriasis, eczema, or severely dry skin during the cold season. That’s why you need to adopt an elaborate skincare routine during winter.
Use warm water
When you wake up in the morning or get ready for bed at night, it’s tempting to turn the hot water because the cold is pinching your body. But if you want to protect your skin, stay away from hot showers and use lukewarm water to cleanse your face.
Hot water dries your skin rapidly, especially in the winter, when it already lacks some of its natural moisture, and you can develop winter cracks or eczema.
After you wash your face with lukewarm water, moisturize it with a nutrient-rich cream. During the cold season, you can opt for a moisturizer that contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid to support the natural processes of the skin. This morning routine maintains your skin barrier intact and keeps the skin moisturized.
Pick skincare products carefully
The products you use to care for your skin during the hot season may not work when the cold breaks. And that’s why you need to research to find products suitable for your skin type. When the winter comes, change your skincare products to encourage your skin to stay healthy and glowing despite the freezing temperatures that break its properties.
Use cleaners and moisturizers rich in nutrients that strengthen your skin’s natural moisture barrier and protect it from harsh weather elements. When dealing with breakouts and acne, add to your daily routine glycerine, hyaluronic acids, hydration serums, and ceramides.
During winter, don’t use harsh peeling products, astringent lotions or other products that contain alcohol because they dry your skin. Before adding a new cream or lotion to your routine, read the beauty product review to make sure it matches your skin type.
Don’t over exfoliate
Exfoliating is beneficial for your skin because it removes dead cells and encourages new skin layers to grow healthily. But during the cold months, you should be careful how much you exfoliate because your skin is already compromised due to the lower temperatures. Exfoliate your skin once a week to boost the regeneration process and improve product absorption.
When you pick exfoliating products, consider your skin type because if you have a dry complexion, you need to exfoliate it lightly instead of producing more damage. For dry skin, you may want to limit exfoliating sessions twice a month. Supposing you have oily or combination skin, one treatment a week is fine.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
The best way to beat dry skin during winter is to apply moisturizer. The best method to do it is immediately after taking a shower or having a bath, leaving some water on the skin to enhance the cream’s benefits. When you apply moisturizer on moist skin, you lock in an extra layer of hydration.
But it’s kind of a mission impossible to pick moisturizing lotions because the market provides you with so many options. To ease your choice, here are some pieces of advice you should follow:
- Keep moisturizing lotions for the hot season; during the winter, switch to thicker alternatives like ointments or creams because they prevent irritation and dryness.
- Use products rich in ceramides (which are fats that stop your skin from losing water). When you feel your skin itchy, irritated, or dry, it may be depleted of ceramides, and you should help it restore its normal levels. Stock up on creams containing ceramides during the Black Friday season because most drugstores have low rates for winter products.
- Pick a hydrating product that contains dimethicone that prevents water loss and creates a hydrating barrier that stops external factors from hurting the skin.
Create a skincare regimen for the winter time
How you care for your skin during the cold season is different from how you do it during the summer. Review the products you use, and adjust the list to help your skin stay healthy when exposed to cold air.
Professional consultations and skincare should be welcome when creating a winter routine. If you suffer from skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema, consult your dermatologist to recommend the best program and products.
For instance, lots of people have gone through Morpheus 8 radio frequency microneedling at a professional clinic to rejuvenate their skin and keep it glowing all winter long.
This treatment improves skin texture and brings back its radiance by stimulating collagen production. Consult with your doctor to decide if this procedure is suitable for you too.
If you have acne-prone skin, you may need to switch to products that have nutritious ingredients in their composition because retinoid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid (ingredients found in acne treatments) are drying the skin.
Even if you don’t see the sun shining for days in a row, you shouldn’t skip sunscreen. Use products that include SPF to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Using SPF should be a daily habit, no matter the season because it keeps the skin healthy and young.
Don’t leave the house before applying lip balm because your lips also require moisturizing to stay healthy. There are hundreds of options you can choose from, so pick one that meets your needs.
Again, the lip balm should include SPF because the skin on your lips is more sensitive than the one of your face. Apply the lip balm in a thick layer, especially before going to bed, to encourage skin restoration.
If you have a well-defined skincare regimen, but your skin is dry, irritated, and red, you should see a dermatologist because you may experience a condition that cracks your skin. Skin issues do not take any season off, and it’s best to identify them in time to treat them effectively.
Do you have a special winter skin trick you would like to share with us?
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