Up Level Your Skincare for Winter
For the same reasons you wouldn’t wear shorts and a t-shirt outside in the winter, you don’t necessarily want to use the same skincare products when the weather gets colder. Your skin is sensitive to changes in the temperature, weather and humidity, and deserves a little TLC to look its best in the colder months.For the same reasons you wouldn’t wear shorts and a t-shirt outside in the winter, you don’t necessarily want to use the same skincare products when the weather gets colder. Your skin is sensitive to changes in the temperature, weather and humidity, and deserves a little TLC to look its best in the colder months.
Skin needs to maintain a constant supply of moisture. When the humidity drops outside and is stripped out of centrally heated indoor environments, it can leave your skin screaming for a more hydration.
Who hasn’t spent just a few minutes longer under a hot shower to avoid the cooler bathroom air? This might feel like a luxury but it’s actually stripping your skin of even more of the natural oils it needs to help look and feel good.
What skincare product do you most need to use in winter?
The first step in protecting the health of your skin is to look for a really good quality hydrating moisturizer. The best moisturizer you can afford should form the bedrock of any winter skincare routine. If you feel that despite using a moisturizer regularly, your skin is feeling tight, irritated or flaky, upgrade your moisturizer with a serum rich in hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and alpha hydroxy acids. Locking the hydration in and the inclement weather out will help keep the skin on your face much healthier.
In the winter it can pay to switch to creams, even if you prefer using lighter water based lotions during summer. The water in the lighter lotions can evaporate off of your skin, so the effects aren’t as long lasting as a cream.
Look for a product which contains vitamin E, as it’s helpful for keeping moisture in. Anything that has a built in humectant, such as hyaluronic acid, is also great for winter skin as these ingredients work to attract moisture to your skin.
Other winter skin defenders
- Lip balm is a great addition to your winter skincare routine. It helps to avoid cracked sore lips and will keep them pout perfect all winter long. Skin needs to maintain a constant supply of moisture. When the humidity drops outside and is stripped out of centrally heated indoor environments, it can leave your skin screaming for more hydration.
- Use a gentle, creamy cleanser as part of your cleansing routine daily, and a soothing, gentle eye cream that will protect the delicate eye area from the effects of winter.
- If you like using oils on your skin, treat them with pure, non-clogging oils like avocado or almond oil to nourish dry or irritated skin.
What not to do in winter
Some products just make your skin worse in the winter months, so if you want to stay feeling great, you should avoid them.
- Don’t use products with petroleum and mineral oils.
- Highly fragranced, especially artificially fragranced, products are another irritant for sensitive skin.
- Avoid products with alcohol, strong peels and harsh toners, opting instead for gentle ph balanced products.
Invest in regular good nourishing winter facials and use gentle products that help lock in moisture and keep your skin healthy. That way, when spring arrives, you won’t have to go into repair mode!
