Skincare for Winter – The Dos & Don’ts

Winter brings about a lot of changes in our daily life. The trees become bare, the sun doesn’t shine for days and the freezing temperature creates obstacles for human life to carry on with their day-to-day activities.

However, one other aspect that changes during winter is our skin. While some adapt to the change in the weather really well, others face extreme levels of skin irritation, redness and flakiness. But have you wondered why this happens? Read ahead to find out more!

Why Does Skin Change During Winter?

The main reason for the change in our skin during winter is the lack of humidity and moisture in the air. As the air loses moisture with every passing day of winter, so does our skin. And without proper moisture, the skin is bound to become dry and flaky.

The other scientific reason behind dry skin during winter is that due to the extreme cold and dryness in the air, the moisture and water from your skin evaporates pretty quickly.

Skincare for Winter – The Dos

Since skincare is a major concern due to the harsh weather in winter, let us take a look at some of the things that you can do to prevent your skin from drying up:

Moisturize

We can’t stress enough how important it is to use a moisturizer during winter. And yes, this applies to both men and women. Even the most basic application of a good moisturizer can prevent your skin from looking dull and flaky throughout the cold.

Another trick for properly moisturizing your skin is to apply the products right after a shower. That way your face is not entirely stripped of its natural oils.

Use Sunscreen

Sunscreen is an essential component for skincare, no matter what the weather is like on a particular day. It protects your skin from the harmful rays of the sun which still pass through the grey clouds in the wintertime.

Exfoliate

Your skin can become extremely flaky when the temperature starts to drop in the coldest season of the year. The flakiness that you feel in the texture of your skin is mainly caused by the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin.

Therefore, it is important that you exfoliate at least once and not more than thrice every week.

Proper exfoliation removes dullness from the skin and lets in more radiance. Your face starts to glow and the products that you apply also penetrate better to heal your skin from the inside.

Use Lip Balm

The skin on your lips is as important as the skin on the rest of your body. Moreover, nothing is worse than dry and scaly lips during winter. Do note that it may also cause your lips to bleed when you try to pick on the dead skill cells. This is why proper hydration of the skin on your lips is as vital as moisturizing the rest of the body.

Eat Seasonal Fruits and Veggies

No matter how many products you apply on the exterior of your skin, it will never start to glow unless you feed it the right nutrients internally.

 We all know how fresh the vegetables and fruits are during winter. So why not take full advantage of the availability of fresh winter fruits and vegetables to let your skin heal internally?

These are some of the seasonal fruits and veggies we think should be included in your groceries during winter:

• Grapefruits
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Brussels Sprouts
• Red Cabbage
• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Oranges
• Lime
• Pomegranates

Drink Water

It is natural for the body to not alert you right away when you’re running without water during winter. Since people sweat a lot less during cold temperatures, the body is able to retain the water.

However, this does not mean that you should go on for hours without having a single drop of water. Yes, your body may not be using up the amount of water that did during the warmer seasons, but it still needs adequate water to keep you hydrated. This mostly applies to your skin as it becomes dryer.

Therefore, we suggest that you drink plenty of water to keep your body and skin hydrated, even during low temperatures of the year.

Switch Your Facewash

It is important to switch your facewash during wintertime. Especially because it may be too harsh for your skin for cooler temperatures.

And so, while it might be okay to use your foaming cleanser for summertime to remove the dust and excess oil from the skin, it is extremely stripping for the skin in winter. Therefore, we recommend that you switch to a milder face wash during this season.

Skincare for Winter – The Don’ts

Now, let us take a peek into some of the things that you should not be doing to your skin during winter:

Do Not Forget About the Rest of the Body

We often end up only focusing on the skincare routine for our face, while completely neglecting the rest of the body. This causes the area of skin below the face to start forming visible cracks. These cracks may show up on your hands and legs, making Your skin look extremely dehydrated.

Hence, do not forget to apply lotion while doing skincare for your face when the temperature starts dropping.

Do Not Apply Makeup on Dry Surfaces

No matter how hard you try, you can never conceal those dark patches and flakiness of your skin with makeup. Applying makeup on dry skin will only make the flakiness more visible and cause irritation throughout the facial area. This is why exfoliation and applying a moisturizer is of utmost importance all through the season.

Do Not Take Long & Hot Showers

Study shows that taking hot showers during the winter for long periods of time can destroy the lipid barrier of the skin. This can often lead to irritation, redness and extreme loss of moisture from the skin.

Do Not Use Same Skincare Products for Winter

If you have been applying the same moisturizer you used throughout the warmer seasons of the year, then you must purchase a new one. This is because the skin’s requirement changes during cold weather conditions. It needs a lot more moisture than it did during those hot temperatures.

Therefore, it is wise to invest in a better moisturizer for your skin that will keep it nourished throughout winter.

Do Not Use Allergens

It is never a good idea to use skincare products that contain allergens during winter. Allergens like sulfates can easily trigger flare-ups and irritation in the skin. Hence, it is best that you avoid harsh chemical infused products during this time of the year.

What Ingredients Should I look For In My Winter Skincare products?

Certain ingredients in skincare products can make your skin look vibrant and hydrated throughout winter.

These are some of the healing ingredients that you should look for in your winter skin care products:

Ceramides

You may want to look into skincare products that contain ceramides. Ceramides help to protect the skin by preventing loss of moisture. When you apply a product containing ceramides, it will form a layer on your skin in order to shield it from external factors like harsh weather conditions.

Shea Butter

Another ingredient that we would recommend you to include in your skincare regime is Shea butter. This ingredient actively helps form a protective skin layer to protect your skin while also making it soft and smooth.

Hyaluronic Acid

Products comprising of hyaluronic acids are generally used by people who have naturally dry skin. This ingredient traps the water and moisture in your skin tenfold more than any other skincare ingredient.

Antioxidants

Extreme dryness of the skin can cause it to age faster. This is why antioxidants are a crucial ingredient for your skincare. Antioxidants help to slow down the process of aging by soothing your skin. 

Conclusion

It is essential to take good care of your skin. Especially during winter. This is because being ignorant about skincare can give rise to issues related to rashes, psoriasis and dermatitis. Therefore, it is advised to invest in a good set of skincare products every winter, particularly if you have dry skin.

Furthermore, in case you are clueless as to which products you should be looking into, do check out the ingredients listed above. The list will help you to find out which ingredients you must have in your skin care regime.

Photo by Viva Luna Studios on Unsplash