Many women hate winters for all the skin concerns that it brings along. While many struggle with dry skin, others go through cold sores and flaky patches. Winter skin woes are more common than you can imagine, which makes it incredibly important to take special care of your skin during this time.
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Maintaining the moisture of your skin during winter feels like a tough challenge. Some winter woes turn out to be so severe that many people end up developing eczema or similar skin conditions. As someone who went through a brief patch of psoriasis last winter, I can totally empathize with those who think of this season as a battlefield for their skin.
No matter how hard it is to maintain the health of your skin during winter, the good part is that it is very much doable.
Here are some very essential tips that can be a game changer for your skin during the upcoming winter season. Make sure that you follow these tips religiously if you wish to keep all your winter skin woes at bay:
1. Take Lukewarm Showers
Winter comes with a temptation to take hot showers that sometimes get elongated to an extent that you unknowingly end up damaging your skin.
Exposing your skin to hot water can have adverse effects as it strips your skin of its natural oils thereby leaving it dry and flaky.
So if you really want to preserve the moisture in your skin during winters, start taking lukewarm showers. Also, make it a point to scale down the shower time to not more than 10 minutes.
2. Get A Humidifier
I have recently shifted to a new city that is relatively cooler than the one I previously lived in. As a result of lower temperatures, my skin started drying out so much that even the best moisturizers couldn’t treat the flaky patches around my mouth. Similar was the case with my hands and lips that felt so itchy that I wanted to cry.
It was only when I decided to get a humidifier for my home that my skin showed some signs of recovery. A humidifier replenishes the moisture in the air and helps beat a lot of your dry skin woes.
As someone who has never been a big fan of air purifiers and humidifiers, I was initially hesitant to make this investment. But oh boy! This is certainly the best thing I have done for my skin. Although it took over three to four days for my skin to get back to its previous state, I’m so glad I bought this life-changing device. I now have a humidifier kept in every room of my house and can’t imagine going through winters without it.
3. Change Up Your Skincare Products
Your skin is forced to step out of its comfort zone as soon as winter sets in. The moisturizer that worked great during summer might not be hydrating enough for the skin during winters. If summers gave you dull and oily skin, winters come with a different set of skin concerns ranging from dryness and redness to itchiness and roughness. So, it’s incredibly important to switch up your skincare as your skin transitions from summers to winters.
Choose a hydrating cleanser for washing your face as it will keep your skin supple without stripping it of its natural oils. I’m currently using CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser that’s quite affordable and effective.
Also, use a hydrating serum that helps lock the moisture in your skin. I use L’Oreal Paris 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid during winter and absolutely love it. Besides that, use a ceramide enriched moisturizer to help repair the skin barrier that often gets compromised during winter. I have been using The Face Shop Rice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream which works well for me. You can consult your dermatologist to decide which skin products might work for you during winters.
4. Scale Back On Exfoliation
I have committed the blunder of over-exfoliating my skin to get rid of those flaky patches during winters. And it obviously did more harm than good as my skin ended up getting drier than before and the moisture barrier stood severely compromised for many months.
Always ensure that you stay mindful of how frequently you exfoliate your skin during winters. Ideally, once a week is enough as it helps remove dead skin cells and unclogs the pores. Be sure that you exfoliate lightly and gently to avoid causing more damage to your skin.
5. Stay Hydrated
The biggest mistake you can make during winter is skipping on your hydration routine. It’s common to not experience thirst during winters, so much so that you often let an entire day pass by without taking a sip of water.
Remember that your skin feels more dehydrated during winters as the dry air makes it harder for it to retain its moisture.
Make sure that you drink at least two litres of water a day no matter how cold the weather is. Your body will pass on some of this hydration to your skin thereby keeping it happy and healthy.
6. Pay Special Attention To Your Hands And Lips
Flaky and dry lips become a huge concern as the weather outside gets cold. Since your lips aren’t blessed with any oil glands that can help them fight dryness, it’s important to treat them with a daily dose of hydration.
Your lip treatment during winter needs to be slightly different for AM and PM. Be sure to coat your lips with Neutrogena SPF 20 or some other SPF infused lip balm before applying your favorite lipstick during the day. In the night, you can use LANEIGE lip sleeping mask to keep your lips moisturized.
Just like your lips, your hands are as prone to dryness and itchiness as any other part of your body, a problem that aggravates during winters. In fact, it’s your hands that show the first signs of ageing, think of wrinkles and sagging. Needless to say, you can’t risk neglecting your hands while going through your moisturization routine. Keep a tube of hand cream in your handbag, in the bathroom and on the bedside table. Apply it whenever you wash your hands to keep them hydrated and youthful. I have been using CeraVe Therapeutic hand Cream for a long time now and don’t plan on switching anytime soon.
So there you have it! I know that it’s easier said than done. As someone who struggles to escape the warmth of the blanket in winter, I know how challenging it can be to follow an entire skincare routine. But when you know that these little skincare habits can help you beat dry and flaky season woes for as long as you wish, you are bound to feel motivated to make them a part of your skincare routine.
If there are more winter skincare tips that you would like to add here, drop a comment below or write to me at richi@askmisswhimsical.com.