Winter poses its own issues with caring for your skin. The dry, cold air leaves your skin feeling parched while indoor heat depletes moisture to cause more dryness. It’s no wonder our skin often ends up dry flaky and itchy. And once dryness starts, skin can more easily crack and bleed!
Caring for skin during winter isn’t difficult; it takes just a little extra time and effort because the conditions are rather extreme for our poor skin. Luckily, there are many ways to combat the causes of dry winter skin by making some easy swaps to your skincare routine to soothe your skin and leave you feeling soft and moisturized all winter long.
1. Switch Your Cleanser
During winter’s dry months, it’s a good idea to trade in your current cleanser for a more moisturizing hydrating cleanser, particularly if your usual choice contains drying ingredients like glycolic or salicylic acid. Opt for a gentle, hydrating cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils, such as our Fortified Cleansing Mousse. You may also need to cleanse less frequently to help your skin retain moisture. If your skin tends to feel tight or dry right after washing it during the winter months, that’s a sign that it’s naturally on the dry side. And, therefore, you don’t need to fully wash it again that day.
2. Moisturize Regularly
You should already be using a moisturizer every day as part of your usual skin-care routine. But moisturizing is especially important in the winter because cold weather and moving between temperatures can cause your skin to dry out, so you definitely don’t want to be slacking! Switch to a thicker, richer moisturizer during winter, such as our Epiderme Nutri-Cream. You could also add in a mask treatment like the Azulene Recovery Mask once a week for additional support.
3. Exfoliate Gently
Dry skin builds up and when you moisturize, you are re-hydrating dead skin. Exfoliating eliminates the dead skin cells, allowing better absorption of moisturizers. Switching to a gentle exfoliator like our Fruit Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser will buff away the dead skin cells without irritating or further drying out your skin. This will improve your skin’s absorption of moisturizers, keeping it hydrated and comfortable. But keep in mind that going overboard with exfoliation can leave your skin feeling dry and irritated instead. It’s a good idea to limit exfoliation to once or twice a week to avoid overdoing it.
4. Hydration is Key
While taking care of your skin on the outside is important, don’t forget the crucial step of winter skincare: hydrate from within. Drinking plenty of water helps your skin recover lost moisture, keeping it hydrated and supple. Herbal teas and warm water with lemon can help contribute to your daily fluid intake. You should also include hydrating foods in your diet, such as fruits and vegetables with high water content like cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, and leafy greens. One thing you should keep in mind is that drinking alcohol can dehydrate you. So make sure to limit these beverages during holiday parties and hydrate well with water before you celebrate.
5. Avoid Long Baths and Showers
While winter’s cold months makes us want to take long, hot showers and baths, they can further dehydrate your skin. Since hot water strips natural oils and causes skin to lose moisture, try to dial down the heat so you’re less prone to damaging your skin. Limit showers to 15 minutes with lukewarm water to help protect your skin. And when you get out of the shower or bath, that is the perfect time to moisturize! Pat (don’t rub) your skin dry and apply moisturizer and body lotion while it’s still damp. This helps your skin absorb the lotion and locks in the hydration.
6. Add Moisture to Your Home
Dry, hot air from indoor heating can be particularly intense on your skin. To help combat this, invest in at least one good humidifier. They increase the amount of moisture in the air in your home, letting your skin absorb a bit more moisture to help keep it from drying out. It’s also a good idea to use a humidifier in your bedroom at night while you sleep. This will keep you from waking up in the morning with parched, dry, tight skin. As a bonus, your house plants will also love it!
7. Protect Your Skin Outdoors
We might not see the sun as often during winter, but UV rays can still cause damage to your skin, even through the clouds. So when heading outdoors, make sure to cover up with scarves, gloves, and hats to protect your skin from cold winds and low temperatures. This not only prevents skin damage but also helps retain moisture. And don’t forget sunscreen! Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at an SPF of 35 or above, like our Green Tea Fortified Sunscreen, on exposed areas, especially when participating in outdoor activities like skiing or snowboarding. Reapply sunscreen every two hours if you’re spending an extended period outside.
8. Don’t Forget the Lips
Your lips could also use extra attention during the winter. Keep dry lips from getting chapped and sunburned during winter fun by using a hydrating lip balm with SPF every morning and throughout the day to seal in moisture. Avoid anything with camphor or menthol. While the tingle they cause can feel nice in the short term, they can increase dehydration down the line. Instead, look for ingredients that hydrate, moisturize and protect, such as glycerin, shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil.
9. Watch Out for Irritating Skincare Ingredients
Be on the lookout for potentially irritating ingredients such as retinoids, exfoliating acids, and vitamin C. While they do help your skin, during the winter they can cause irritation in large doses. You may need to dial back on the strength of these ingredients to be able to use them through winter without causing excess irritation. If you have questions one which ones to adjust, give us a call. Our staff can analyze your skin and guide you to the right skincare choices for the winter!