Knowing how to take care of your skin in the winter can be challenging. Each change of the weather brings different issues. Your skin can become dry, red and sensitive due to the wind and cold. Moving from an indoor to outdoor environments can sap moisture and wreak havoc with the most well cared for skin.
Don’t worry though, we’re here to help give you some pointers on caring for your skin during those harsh winter months! Monitoring your skin and adjusting your routine with the seasons will help your skin deal with the stress of wintertime. With these tips, you can keep your skin glowing year-round.
8 Ways to Fight Winter Skin Problems
Start from the Inside
Some information about how to take care of your body and how to take care of your skin is the same. Healthy skin starts from the inside with balanced diet and adequate fluid intake. Drinking about nine cups of water a day helps keep dehydration at bay. The human body is over 60% water, and providing your body with proper hydration will help your skin ward off winter dryness. Eating fruits and vegetables and moderating your alcohol intake also helps skin stay hydrated and impedes free radical damage.
Wash Smart
It might feel good for your skin when you jump in a hot shower or scrub your face with hot water at night, but this does more harm than good. Washing with lukewarm water and using only your hands can reduce the irritation your skin may develop from cold, windy and dry winter conditions. Hot water can strip necessary oils from your skin, leaving it dry, itchy and irritated.
Exfoliate? Yes, Exfoliate!
Exfoliation is a key factor in how you take care of your skin. It might seem counterintuitive to exfoliate your face as part of a winter skin regime, but proper, gentle exfoliation can make your moisturizer more powerful. Removing those dead skin cells lets your chosen products get to the skin that needs it.
A smoother skin texture can make a big impact in the way your cosmetics look. No amount of foundation or concealer will cover dry, flakey skin. Both chemical and physical exfoliators can do the job, but try out different products slowly to make sure you do not have an adverse reaction. It’s also fun to try out homemade exfoliations masks. Yogurt, oatmeal and honey all have various skin restorative and exfoliating properties.
Moisturize Right Away
An obvious part of winter skin care is moisturizing. But did you know the timing of your routine can have a big impact on the capabilities of your moisturizer? After washing and exfoliating, gently pat your face dry. Then apply your chosen moisturizing products. If your skin feels very tight or dry, you may even consider not drying it off at all, and just moving right on to moisturizer. This locks water into the skin. Adding a heavy-duty, oil-based nighttime face cream to heal the damage done during the daytime is a proven option as well.
Choose Cosmetics Carefully
Changing your cosmetics in the winter may be a good idea. In summer issues like shiny skin or keeping makeup in place are concerns, but in winter heavy powder or mattifying products can look overdone. Switching to a liquid foundation, skipping the powder, or adding a touch of dewiness with reflective products are all great options to consider. Winter weather particularly impacts lips. Turning to a hydrating lip product as oppose to a standard lipstick can help protect lips from chapping.
Wear Sunscreen
Using sunscreen in the summer is a no-brainer, but winter can bring extra UVA and UVB risks. It’s easy to run out the door and forget to wear any sunscreen at all in the winter. Because of this, the risk of skin damage in the winter can actually be higher than in summer. Don’t forget to include a sunscreen every day as an important part of how you take care of your skin. If you participate in outdoor activities, take special care to wear sunscreen at all times, as the reflection off of snow and back onto your face poses an increased danger of sunburn.
Take Special Care
Part of knowing how to take care of your skin is knowing that not all skin is the same, even on your face. The skin on the lips and around the eyes thinner and more delicate, making it more prone to damage in extreme winter conditions. Lips chap easily in cold, dry winter air. You can avoid this by keeping them coated with a moisturizing lip product. Even plain coconut oil will work to give a little extra protection against the elements. A more gentle exfoliation routine will also benefit your lips and keep your lip color from flaking or feathering.
The skin around the eyes will benefit from an extra emollient eye cream at night. Keeping this skin moisturized lessens the fine lines and wrinkles we all worry about so much.
Switch Up When Temperatures Go Down
The answer to how to take care of your skin in the winter is as simple as making a few changes in your products. Don’t shy away from winter specific solutions that are oil based or feel heavier than what you’re used to. Adding a serum under your moisturizer is a great way to add nutrients and heal winter damage at night. New balm based cleansers that don’t foam up like a soap remove makeup and hydrate your skin at the same time. These are usually applied to a dry face and are far less traumatic on your skin than washing with a traditional, soap-based cleanser.
Knowing how to take care of your skin in the winter is as easy as counting to eight! Drinking enough water helps keep skin hydrated. Gentle exfoliation will allow moisturizers to do their job. Avoiding damaging things like UVA, UBV rays, and hot water keeps your skin from further damage. Using products specifically for dry skin or for winter months can alleviate any uncomfortable or unsightly dryness. If you follow these tips you’re sure to burst into spring looking like the beautiful flower you are! How do you beat winter dryness? Have you tried any of the above steps? Let us know in the comments, and stay warm out there!
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