8 skincare tips in the winter : you need to follow
- Maintain Moisture in the Skin
It’s common for many people to lose moisture in their skin during the winter months, as both indoor and outdoor temperatures constantly are ridding our skin of natural skin barriers. In order to combat this issue, it’s advised to not bathe too long or too frequently in the dry season and keeping showers and baths to under ten minutes. It’s best to use lukewarm water even though it may be tempting to use hot water to get warm. When bathing excessively, especially in high temperatures, this further decreases moisture in the skin and can cause it to get dry and irritated.
In case you weren’t already aware, hydration and moisturization are two important steps when it comes to skincare and act independently from one another.
You should always make sure you’re drinking enough water, especially in the winter season. The air is drier and can contribute to skin dehydration. If you aren’t able to or don’t prefer water as your primary beverage, green tea contains antioxidant effects that you won’t get from other beverages such as soda and coffee.
We use our hands to do so many different activities throughout the day that it would be foolish to ignore them. Especially our dominant hand, which we primarily use to write with and perform most tasks, can become irritated in the colder months as it is more commonly used. Between our dependence on our hands and sanitizing our hands with soap and products in the drier months, our hands can further lose moisture, leading to skin peeling and cracks.
We recommend traveling with hand lotion everywhere you go during the season to ensure your hands are constantly moisturized to combat the dryness.
An activity you can perform at home to combat dry skin, especially if it’s leading to peeling and cracks, is to cover your hands with cotton gloves at night before you go to bed and applying lotion to retain the moisture overnight. This provides the hands with even further protection in the winter, ensuring they are constantly moisturized.
Much like our hands, our lips lose moisture easily in the winter months. This is due to the area around the lips being thinner than other areas of the skin, as well as constantly being exposed to external factors. In general, our skin contains over ten cellular layers of protection, but the lips only contain around three to five cellular layers.
They also don’t have natural oil glands to self-moisturize compared to the rest of our skin. Carrying lip balm along with your hand lotion can be crucial for lip comfort in the drier season.
In the winter months, our skin isn’t able to catch a break when it comes to dryness. The temperatures both outdoors and indoors, due to central heating, is continulously leaving our skin dry and at risk to symptoms such as flakiness and cracks that can lead to bleeding.
Humidifers are a great way to remedy this problem and maintain moisture in the skin, even when we’re at home. Not only do they help to replenish fresh moisture in the air of your living space, but humidifers can prevent mold and bacteria from forming, intentionally relasing natural, hydrated air for your skin to be exposed to.
The skin isn’t able to retain as much moisture in the winter, so supplying your skin with ingredients such as petrolatum and mineral oils can manage dry skin symptoms. These allow the skin to strengthen its damaged barrier as well as allot proper time for it to get repaired so it is prepared for further environmental conditions.
Overnight moisturizers and various skincare products that can be applied to the face are a great way to detox at the end of a long day or to take care of your skin while you’re sleeping, allowing the ingredients to do all the work for you.
Maintaining moisture in the skin and keeping up with proper skincare when you go outside is still important in the drier months. Sunscreen should always be applied at the end of each routine before leaving the house, even if it’s colder outside. This is due to the effect the sun has on the snow in the winter, which can ultimately reflect upon the skin from multiple angles and damage the skin’s protective barrier.
SPF 30 and above is often generally recommended to protect your skin while outside.
Various treatments and procedures have evolved in the past few decades and are completely safe to utilize if you feel it may provide further comfort in the drier months. Sometimes, if you are suffering from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, consulting with a dermatologist may be required, as these conditions often require more intense remedies in order to be stabilized in the dry season.
In recent years, chemical peels and facial exfoliating treatments have worked to provide better absorption of skincare products, speeding up the removal of dead skin cells. Though these treatments are commonly performed during the summer months, autumn and winter are more recommended to engage in these treatments. This is due to the excess sunlight exposure our skin undergoes in the summer months, which can lead to hyperpigmentation.
For at-home skincare, Deepcare+ Serum-Infused Microdart Patches begin to show desired results after just the first use. Infused with potent ingredients including argireline and hyaluronic acid, Depology’s unique formula works together to stimulate collagen production and hydrate the skin, while targeting aging signs such as wrinkles and puffiness.
Best of all, while you consistently apply for six weeks to achieve maximum results, you won’t need to leave the house!
