Get ready to welcome chilly nights, snowfalls, and the holiday season but what comes with cosy sweaters and fun lattes is dry skin. As the dermatologist Shari Marchbein, M.D. explains, your skin cells are dried out due to extreme drops in air temperature and humidity levels during harsh winter weather.
When environment changes meet with indoor heat, over-washing, exfoliating routines, and skincare products zapping moisture – a complete havoc for your skin!
In addition to the reasons mentioned above, the body phenomena also play a crucial role in dehydrating skin; as NYC dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D. says, “In the cold, your skin attempts to conserve heat by constricting blood vessels, which in turn dries out the outer layers of your skin.”
That is why skin dryness, face redness, flakiness, or bleeding lips is expected due to the depletion of the skin’s protective barrier and natural oils!
8 Tips for Skincare for Dry Winter Skin
So, how can you make sure that your face and body skin stay supple, silky smooth, soft, and moisturised all season long? How to change skincare routine for winter?
We have some skincare for winter season tips to let you enjoy the cold season instead of feeling miserable.
1. Cover Your Skin with Clothes and SPF
You first need to keep your skin covered to ensure complete protection against the harsh cold wind, snow, or rain. Always have gloves, wrap a scarf around your face and neck, wear a hat, and have long coats when stepping out. The most comfortable options are natural fabrics like cotton.
Yes, exposed skin is prone to get dried out rapidly, but it is also vulnerable to UV rays. Do not forget to lather a sunscreen lotion, as warm sun rays can cause skin damage. You better pick a sunscreen with hydrating ingredients as well as protective, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
2. Rich Creams & Moisturisers
The best practice is applying moisturiser on wet (washed) skin. Why? Because dry skin will have no moisture to trap!
As soon as you hop out of the shower, pat dry skin with a soft towel and lock in moisture by applying a hydrating moisturiser, cream, or balm. One must skip scented formulas and use restorative rich creams/moisturisers thicker than the lotion, with shea butter and no parabens. The reason for a thicker texture is its ability to make moisturising ingredients adhere to the skin for longer for deeper hydration and faster repair.
For maximum face skin hydration, put a layer of a hydrating serum underneath. The serum should have hyaluronic acid and glycerine to give extra suppleness. If you prefer balms for your skincare routine in winter, have them packed with natural oils, petrolatum, silicone, and lanolin.
3. Hydration with Olive Oil
According to Neda Mehr, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and medical director at Pure Dermatology Cosmetic & Hair Center, "Olive oil is an excellent skin moisturiser, especially when applied to wet skin when the pores are open, and can act as a second skin barrier for dry, cracked skin in the winter."
Only a teaspoon of olive oil can give your skin much-needed hydration, cleansing, and exfoliation. It comes loaded with strong antioxidants, vitamin E, and polyphenols to benefit the skin profoundly, entirely, and immensely. You can use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil for a regular facial massage.
Ee Ting Ng, cosmetic chemist and founder of the Australian-based skincare brand Hop & Cotton, says, "Olive oil’s main benefit is to moisturise the skin by reducing water loss." Apart from fighting dry skin, it makes a great exfoliate to get rid of dead facial skin cells, especially when mixed with ground coffee beans. Give your skin its smoothness and glow in a natural way by adding olive oil to your best winter skincare routine!
Do you want to double the nourishment? Take olive oil and mix it with quality coconut oil. Apply it on your particularly facial dry skin area (cheeks, nose, forehead and chin) every few days.
4. Skincare Products for Winter
Fix your best skincare routine for winter with hydration-boosting cream and lotions that do not contain alcohol or fragrance (terrible skin irritants).
Pick face washes with moisturising items, preferably chamomile or oatmeal. One of the best winter skincare products!
CBD-containing moisturisers and serums can surely increase skin’s fatty-acid content, a component needed to maintain the skin’s natural barrier function.
Skincare products with hyaluronic acid and ceramide are ideally perfect.
Chamomile has anti-itching and potent anti-inflammatory qualities, making it an excellent choice for dry skin and even conditions such as eczema.
Take care of hands with glycerine, a humectant. It not only draws the water from the environment into the outermost skin layer but also serves as a protective layer against rapid moisture loss.
5. NO to Super-Hot, Long Showers
Pampering skin with calming ingredients is necessary during the harshest cold winters, and so is taking quick, cold showers. All you need is about 10 minutes because overwashing dries your skin. As explained by Anne Chapas, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City, "Too much hot water causes increased evaporation of your skin's natural hydration."
Taking a long, hot shower is enjoyable on a chilly evening but not suitable for dry skin. In Dr. Estemalik’s opinion, “The warmer water you use, the drier your skin’s going to be.”
6. Make Use of Honey
You don’t want to buy expensive moisturisers? Use the honey resting on your kitchen shelf because it is an exceptional humectant. Enriched with vitamins, zinc, potassium, selenium, gluconic acid, and amino acids, it ensures deep skin nourishment. Unadulterated honey is a great cleanser and exfoliator to unclog the blocked pores and minimise the risk of acne breakout because of the AHA and natural enzymes - skincare in winter at home!
On the contrary, people with oily skin problems in winter can use honey for balancing the oil production from sebaceous glands, ultimately cutting down the oiliness.
Apart from sealing moisture, honey creates a protective layer over the parched, wounded skin to prevent the spread of infection and decrease skin itchiness/irritation. Thanks to its high viscosity, potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties!
7. Avoid Over-Cleansing
Is there anyone who cannot be tempted to scrub away the dry, flaky skin? Or who is not obsessed with getting rid of all dead skin cells? Yes, we know the answer! But unfortunately, you cannot use harsh scrubbers, foaming formulas, or electronic brushes, else you will damage your dried-out, itchy skin by depriving it of all the crucial natural oils.
Abrasive scrubs break your skin barrier, and beating your already inflamed skin with a physical exfoliator can lead to further dryness. On the flip side, dry skin needs to be exfoliated to reduce dryness, enhance skin regeneration, and let moisturisers or serums absorb better.
The solution is to exfoliate weekly and go gentle by using a milky or creamy cleanser, lukewarm water, AHA or BHA leave-on exfoliant, and a soft flannel cloth.
Keysha says, “Use oil-based exfoliators to not only rejuvenate the skin, but also to hydrate. For best results, do not exfoliate more than twice a week.”
8. High Moisturising Organic Black Seed Oil
You may be hearing about it for the first time, but kalonji oil is one of the best hydrating ingredients. Add it to your winter skincare essentials and have healthy, happy skin!
Massage a few drops of the black cumin seed oil on your face or body directly. Or you can add this super anti-inflammatory oil to your lotion or cream for enhancing their hydrating qualities, calming redness, and soothing irritation. When added to an exfoliating scrub, it can be your cleanser in nourishing skin treatment.
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