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The skincare products that usually stay on the surface of your skin start to disappear into your skin. That’s when you know it’s winter and your skin is parched and you’re in urgent need of some winter skincare tips! All skin types deal with dryness during this season. Taking care of your skin in the winter is tricky let alone making it glow. And for dry skin types, the skin turns into this high-maintenance trophy wife that’s exceptionally difficult and expensive to satisfy.
The reason why your skin gets dry in the winter is because of the low humidity. Low humidity dries out your skin, no matter your skin type. And all your skin problems can be pretty much boiled down to this.
To help you manage the process, below are the best winter skincare tips to follow for healthy and glowing skin. Keep reading to find out the right way to take care of your skin in winter.
Winter Skincare Tips
1. Get your house in order.
Before anything else, it’s important to manage the humidity in your home when you’re not out and about. The air outside is out of your control.
The air inside, however, should not be too hot. It’s tempting to adjust the heat to a degree where you can watch the snow in your short shorts from the window.
That doesn’t help with maintaining a healthy level of humidity. And speaking of humidity, getting a humidifier will soften the air and reduce potential dryness. Get one at least for your bedroom.
2. Rethink your cleanser.
If you have dry skin, you probably already have a decent and preferably non-foaming cleanser to wash your face. It’s not like dry skin types bathe in SLS during the summer and switch to a non-drying cleanser for the winter.
Avoiding harsh cleansers is not exclusive to wintertime. It’s a general rule of thumb at this point and you probably already know that.
But if you’ve been doing that, know that the skin reacts to it way worse during the winter. If you’re ready to switch, this is the time to do it.
You can add an oil cleanser for double cleansing to use before your regular cleanser. This will reduce the potentially harmful impact. But if you want to be on the safer side, get yourself a cream cleanser that won’t further dry out your skin.
3. Tone with care in winter.
Toners are brilliant multi-taskers. But not all toners are created equal. Even though they can be great supplements to add to your skincare routine, you need to choose your toner wisely.
During winter, use hydrating toners and stay away from exfoliating and astringent ones. You do not have to get a toner.
But if you want to have an additional layer of hydration after you clean your face, try face toners made with soothing and hydrating ingredients.
4. Leave exfoliation to cream formulas.
Dry skin gets flaky but is also equally sensitive. And exfoliating it sounds counterintuitive as a winter skincare tip. But there is definitely a sweet spot where you exfoliate and get rid of flakiness, dehydration, and dullness without stripping and irritating your skin.
The best way to do that is by using hydroxy acids in a cream form. Exfoliating moisturizers such as glycolic acid creams can soften the blow. They’re way gentler on the skin than exfoliating toners or peels.
Because they deliver the acids into the skin with a very moisturizing base. So your skin doesn’t feel like it’s just lost 5 layers of skin. If your skin can handle it, you can also try once-a-week liquid peels.
Whichever way you decide to go, keep exfoliation to a minimum but definitely do it. Because hydroxy acids are also hydrating for the skin and can help with dehydration as long as you’re being reasonable with them.
5. Moisturize with occlusives for dry skin and emollients for oily skin.
We’ve mentioned the different types of moisturizers and what to look for in one according to your skin type. To recap, here’s what you need to know.
If you have dry skin, go for emollient and occlusive moisturizers. Emollients like fatty acids, ceramides, and oils are great moisturizers.
Occlusives, on the other hand, sit on top of your skin and make it almost impossible for it to dry out. They literally lock water in. And that’s exactly what dry skin types need; preventing transepidermal water loss.
So make sure your winter moisturizer is accommodating what your skin needs, and is more on the oil-based side. Also, an important winter skincare tip would be to try face oils for some added nourishment benefits.
If you have oily skin, try moisturizers that are packed with humectants but also contain emollients. You still need the oils!
But this balance between water and oil is key to hydrating the skin without clogging your pores. For best results, apply your hydrating products like serums and moisturizers to your damp skin.
6. Care for your body.
When you start seeing dead skin cells shedding off as you take off your black yoga pants, it’s time to exfoliate. Generally speaking, your body can handle a lot more than your face. It doesn’t feel like you’re walking on ice when you’re exfoliating your body.
So to get rid of flaky skin all over, try dry brushing for exfoliation. And then moisturize the heck out of your skin focusing especially on elbows, knees, and feet.
Life doesn’t end in winter. Remember to wax and shave and stay smooth in case you get lucky one snowy winter night. *fingers crossed*
7. Carry a lip balm.
The last thing you want to do is smile with dry and chapped lips when it’s time to take off your mask. Always carry a lip balm around and moisturize your lips.
This can be a difficult habit to establish if you’re not used to it. But to encourage yourself, get a cutely-packaged, colorful, and nice-smelling SPF lip balm to carry in your pocket or even around your neck.
8. Remember eye care.
You may already be dealing with dry skin around your eyes. Maybe you only deal with it during winter. Either way, dry, flaky under-eyes make it impossible to get smooth skin and a smooth makeup application.
So as an essential winter skincare tip, never skip this step and always apply eye cream. If you can afford to switch, try oil-based ones as opposed to eye serums or eye gels.
But if you generally have oily skin, never forget to wash your face and the eye area twice a day. Leaving an oily eye cream in that area can cause milia.
Additionally, try under-eye patches and masks for quick results. They boost hydration around the eyes by plumping up the skin. And they help a lot with puffy eyes and dark circles.
9. Protect from the sun.
The reason why SPF is important during winter is that your skin is extra sensitive. Dry, exposed, and sensitive with a compromised barrier, the skin is more prone to sunburn than ever.
And there’s more; the sun will age you, give you wrinkles, and dark spots, and further dehydrate you. There’s no reason to take a break from sun protection just because the summer is over. The least you can do is make sure your moisturizer has SPF in it.
10. Stay healthy.
Your skin is the window to what’s going on inside your body. Focusing only on skincare is going to be a mistake and won’t be enough to make you glow.
Make sure you drink enough water, and enjoy the fruits and vegetables of the season for some antioxidant uptake. It’s winter and you want to enjoy it.
What’s the point of applying 10 layers of skincare products if you’re going to fall back into bed because you’re too sick to get a selfie? So, follow these winter skincare tips and remember to take care of your skin and your body in winter and always.
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