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One downside of winter can be the effects of cold weather on your skin. Just as you 'winterise' your wardrobe, you must also 'winterise' your skin.
During cold weather, your skin is exposed to so many factors that can affect it.
Think about being inside with the heat blasting and fireplace on. Or, worse yet, think about driving your car with the heater blowing hot air all over your face.
Going inside and outside, from the hot to the cold temperature extremes throughout the day can wreak havoc on your skin.
In winter, air becomes very dry. When this happens, air looks to pull moisture from wherever it can find it, and unfortunately it targets the skin.
When this occurs, it depletes the moisture levels from the layers of your skin.
It’s important to note that this process doesn't discriminate and will pull moisture from your skin no matter your skin type—dry or oily! This means everyone needs to take extra measures to protect their skin.
When your skin becomes dry, it can develop little cracks that, in most cases, you can’t even see. This can mean a loss of moisture in your skin. The other problem with these little cracks is that they allow for impurities and irritants to make their way into your skin. This unfortunately, this can cause your skin to become sensitive to things that it normally wouldn't be affected by.
Taking proper care of your skin is not negotiable. It’s an absolute MUST if you want to look your absolute best. Just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower, implementing a good daily skin care regimen is crucial to radiant looking skin. This may just take a bit more effort during the colder winter months. You must remember to protect your skin from the elements, indoor and outdoors.
My winter skin care tips are simple enough to follow for just about anyone, including those who are minimalist in their skin care regimens.
Skip hot, steamy showers and baths
Nothing feels better then a nice hot bath on a cold winter day. This may be therapeutic for your mind, but it doesn't have the same effect on your skin. The hotter and longer your bath, the dryer and itchier your skin may be. Avoid water temperatures that are too hot and try not to linger too long. A quicker bath or shower in nice warm water is best for your skin.
When you’re done, pat, don’t rub, your skin dry and immediately apply body lotion while your skin is still damp. This will help to increase the absorption into your skin. Be sure to massage lots of lotion into your heels, knees and elbows, which can suffer more dryness during the winter months.
Exfoliate more often
We all understand the importance of exfoliating our skin. It helps remove the dead skin cells from the surface while revealing youthful, glowing skin cells beneath. This can be really beneficial in the wintertime when your skin gets dry and flakey. But, there is another really important reason to exfoliate your skin. It helps all of your other skin care products work to their best potential.
By removing that barrier of skin from the surface it allows for all of your other products to penetrate into the skin with greater ease. So, your serums and moisturisers can give your skin the maximum moisture that it needs.
Pull a switcheroo on your day and night cream
If you aren't going to be outdoors, exposed to the UVA and UVB rays of the sun, then by all means give your moisture levels a major boost by applying night cream during the day. Night creams tend to be richer in texture and more moisturising then your average day lotions, so why not?
Boost your eye care
The skin around the eyes is different than the skin elsewhere on your face because it lacks in both sweat and oil glands. For that reason, the delicate area around your eyes is much more prone to the affects of dehydration. It’s usually the very first place you’ll notice the signs of ageing. Those little fine lines and wrinkles, affectionately knows, as CROWE’S FEET are inevitable.
To combat this, try a richer eye cream during the day too. When you’re winterising your skin, you really have to kick things up a notch by trading out your daytime eye gel for a richer night-time eye cream.
The creamier textures will provide that much needed hydration to this delicate skin, to help keep it skin moisturised and looking refreshed throughout the day. Don’t forget to wear your sunglasses when going outside to help prevent squinting. It’s those little repetitive movements that can also lead to wrinkles!
We all need some TLC (Tender LIP Care)
Our lips sure do take beating even on a regular basis, but throw in cold weather and dry indoor heat, and boy oh boy, do our lips need some help! When the weather gets colder, our lips become dry and cracked. This can be painful and unpleasant to look at. Some also make the unfortunate mistake of licking their lips to compensate for the extra dryness.
This quick fix is very temporary and can actually worsen the condition by drying them out even further. In other words, do your best NOT to lick your lips. Instead, keep them protected with lip balm or cream to help seal in moisture and protect them from the elements.
Out of lip balm? No worries, a little dab of olive oil or coconut oil will help you out in pinch.
Cover up
Besides keeping your skin extra moisturised with creams and lotions to help nurture it, you must also take extra precautions by covering up with protective garments. One of the most important things to keep covered up is your hands.
Your hands suffer tremendously on a regular basis, but cold weather is the worst and we must do our best to help protect them. When hands become dry, they run the risk of developing cracks in the cuticles and on knuckles. This is never a good thing because not only is this very uncomfortable, but it can also allow for germs and bacteria to enter the body.
Wear gloves or mittens whenever your hands may be exposed to the cold. Look for waterproof gloves if you’re going to be exposed to the rain or snow. There are some awesome and totally fabulous gloves and mittens out there. They aren't just a necessity; they can be a fashion statement for both men and women.
Also, be sure to apply hand cream throughout the day especially after washing your hands. Keep hand cream next to your sinks to make it easier to remember. Apply, apply and reapply throughout the day.
