It’s important to adapt your skincare routine according to the seasons. What works for your skin during summer and spring may not be suitable for fall and winter. After all, skin is susceptible to drying up faster and more often in the cold and dry air of winter compared to any other season.
Winter’s low temperatures, arctic winds, and strong sunlight make the skin drier and duller. Achieving a glowing, plump, and shine-free look popular in the warmer months will be doubly hard. Prioritize providing adequate hydration and moisture to keep your skin comfortable, instead.
You don’t need an extra long skincare regimen for your skin to stay comfortable in winter. With the right hydrating and moisturizing products, you can keep your routine down to the six essentials of proper skincare: a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, eye cream, exfoliant, and mask.
Stick to Gentle Products
With the winter weather already doing a number on your skin, it’s best to stick to gentle products that won’t irritate your skin further. Choose a facial cleanser that’s not only gentle but also has a more conditioning texture and restores your skin’s natural pH levels. If your facial wash makes your skin feel too tight afterward, that’s a sure sign to switch products.
It’s easy to neglect to exfoliate your face in the winter, despite doing it regularly in spring and summer, out of fear of damaging your skin. As long as you stick to gentle physical scrubs and avoid harsh acid exfoliants, you shouldn’t have any adverse skin issues. Regular exfoliation ensures you don’t accumulate dead skin cells. These won’t offer you any protection against the cold winds; it will make your skin look dull.
Moisturizing is the Key
The cold weather depletes your skin’s natural moisture. Your regular, warm-weather moisturizers likely won’t be able to keep up with your skins demands. Use a richer or more concentrated moisturizer during winter. Look for products jam-packed with oils, vitamin E, natural butters, and ceramides.
Remember to hydrate your skin, as well. Drinking plenty of water is a given to keep skin hydrated, but a little extra help wouldn’t hurt, especially considering the lower temperatures. Hydrating skincare ingredients to look out for include aloe, honey, alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA), and hyaluronic acid.
Quick Fixes and Spot Treatment
The ever-popular sheet masks are ideal for a quick-fix whenever your face feels particularly dry. Just make sure you follow the instructions and don’t leave it on for too long. If you’re prone to breakouts or patches of rough skin during winter, it would be prudent to add a spot corrector or treatment to your skincare routine.
Moisturizing products for your undereye area and lips may be necessary, too. Remember that the skin under your eyes is thinner, more delicate, and more susceptible to drying out. This, in turn, leads to more pronounced wrinkles. Chapped lips look unsightly (and sometimes painful). It can also ruin all your efforts to look moisturized and comfortable.
Hand and Body Care
Properly caring for your face is well and good, but it shouldn’t be your only concern. The face may be the body part that’s the most exposed to the cold and stinging wind but the hands are a close second. Make sure you apply hand cream, lotion, or gel generously and avoid using rubbing alcohol too much. Similarly, remember to apply body lotion or moisturizer, as well.
A few changes to your skincare routine would protect you from the cold and drying winter weather. Regardless of the products you add or substitute to your current regimen, make sure to run it by your dermatologist.
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