6 Winter Skin-Care Tips to Calm and Nourish Dry Skin
Take a minute to care for your face and body.
Icy air, biting wind and indoor heating cranked way up—it’s all a recipe for dry, itchy skin. But there are several steps you can take to soothe and protect your face and body. Instead of viewing skin care as a chore, think of it as an opportunity to reset. Listen to music, practice mindfulness, diffuse essential oils or sip tea to get yourself in the right frame of mind, then follow these steps for happy skin in the dark days of winter.
1. Minimize long, hot showers.
It’s tempting to linger in the warmth of a shower on a cold day, but hot water can strip your natural oils and leave your skin feeling dry and itchy. Try to keep it short, use lukewarm water and lather damp skin with lotion as soon as you step onto your bath mat.
2. Opt for a balm, oil or cream cleanser.
If you find that your skin looks dry or feels tight in the winter, look for a balm, oil or cream cleanser that’s labeled for normal to dry skin. Avoid soap, foaming cleansers, products labeled for oily skin or anything with salicylic acid (usually in acne cleansers) because they can strip the skin of oil.
3. Gently exfoliate.
It’s hard for skin care to work its magic if you haven’t fully sloughed off its top layer of dead skin. (If your skin looks dull, dead skin is often the culprit!) To reveal a fresh complexion and help your skin care penetrate, use a mild glycolic acid or lactic acid exfoliator a few times a week.
4. Layer up.
Your skin can use a good barrier against the winter elements, so look to layer your skin care for extra protection (and hydration). Start with the lightest product and work toward the heaviest: mist or essence, serum, eye cream and then face cream. Finish off with sunscreen—even in the winter—because the strength of UVA rays remains the same no matter the time of year.
5. Swap out your lightweight moisturizer for something richer.
A light lotion may offer enough hydration in the summer when you skin is naturally oilier, but you’ll need something richer in the winter (just like you need thicker clothes as the temperature cools). Look for a heavy cream that contains ceramides, which are lipids that fill the space between skin cells to make your skin barrier stronger.
6. Humidify your space.
Set up a cool-air humidifier in your bedroom, living room, home office or wherever you spend the most time and let it fill the air with moisture. Also try to avoid blasting the heat at every hour of the day, as it will only increase the dryness in the air. Dry air means dry skin, which can result in itchiness and flaking.
For lotions and potions that nourish and protect your skin this winter, visit healthyplanetcanada.com.
