Do you miss a good, long frost? Not really, not now, but September weather is lurking in the shadows. Once it is back, it’ll bite with a vengeance. If you have dry, sensitive and vascular skin, then maybe it’s about time you establish a sky care routine. As you know, during winter, the temperature varies highly throughout the day, leaving your skin exposed not only to wind and frost, but also to the drying effects of indoor heating and air conditioning. On the other hand, people with oily skin are in a better position as their skin suffers less from low temperatures and changing weather conditions. So, how to take care of your skin during a long, cold season? Winter is coming- do you have a skincare routine?
Choose Cosmetics according to the Season
A new season does not always mean altering the choice of cosmetics applied. Observe your skin. If you do not notice any disturbing symptoms, you can stick to the preparations used so far that serve your skin. However, remember that dry air, frost, and wind make your skin dry and rough. This happens especially when it is damaged by the sun, as well as by the use of inappropriate cosmetics that dry and irritate. In such a situation, our skin does not have the ability to maintain proper water level and an adequate pH balance. Thus, its defense mechanisms against negative weather conditions fail to provide their natural functions.
Moisturize and Protect
The most essential skin care product is a good cream, first and foremost. It should contain substances supporting the maintenance of water in the skin (such as: ceramides, fatty acids, glycerin, hyaluronic acid..), as well as soothing irritations (ingredients such as: anatonin, aloe, chamomile, and oat extract). It may also contain antioxidants (vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, argan oil, green tea extract..). In drugstores, we have a wide selection of such cosmetics, including those for the weather conditions that prevail during winter. All you need to do is choose the right one for your skin type. For example, for dry skin, the best is a cream with a thick consistency, and for oily skin generally- a light cream or emulsion.
Cleansing the skin properly
Many times our cosmetic of choice for washing the face and body is the old-fashioned bar soap. It’s best to give it up completely, as most of it dries the skin out. There are better cleansing product alternatives on the market shelves. To prevent the skin from drying out, adopt a milk-based or cream-like preparation. Your skin will love a proper cleanse, and will benefit from the moisturizing properties.
Use lip balms and peelings
In winter, we not only have to take care of facial skin, but also the lips. Our lips are most at risk of dehydration due to their lack of sebaceous glands. For this reason, we should moisturize the skin of the lips with lip balm or lip gloss as often as possible. We must not forget to lubricate them also at night so that they can regenerate during precious sleep time. It is worth making sure that the lip preparations used do not contain any irritating substances- e.g. camphor or mint. In order for our lips to remain smooth (Mwa!), we should exfoliate dry skin with a lip scrub. These types of cosmetics often contain natural oils and sugar, which additionally moisturize our lips.
Let’s use sunscreen creams
Who said that we can only use sunscreen in summer? Bikinis and sunbathing aside, the sun can be really strong on frosty wintery days. Yes, the UV rays do penetrate clouds, genius! Therefore, before leaving your house, apply some cream with a high filter to lubricate your face.
Adequate hydration of hands and feet
After bathing, apply lotion or body butter as soon as possible, because cleansed skin is most prone to drying out. We can utilize a shower lotion on wet skin (it is applied after washing and then rinsed off). Another good way to moisturize our body is to use oil on wet skin.
We also cannot forget about our hands and feet. They also need appropriate hydration, and unfortunately some of us forget about them. Lubricate your hands after each washing, and also before leaving the house. When it comes to feet, we can apply cream with shea butter or urea at night.
Rubbing oils will help dry skin
If your skin is very dry, itchy and stinging, rub it with oil overnight. First, rub the face with the cream, and then massage a few drops of oil (e.g. jojoba, argan, macadamia) onto particularly dry areas. This will stop water from escaping. A good way to treat dry skin is also to apply preparations in layers – under the cream, serum with antioxidants.
Avoid using coarse-grained peelings that remove the natural skin barrier
In winter, when the skin is irritated and dry, it can be difficult to remove dead skin. During the winter period, you should discontinue sharp, coarse-grained peels, because they can destroy the natural protective barrier of the skin. At this time, choose delicate sugar skins with the addition of oils or use body lotions with AHA and BHA acids. When it comes to dead skin on the face, better use enzyme peeling.
Avoid those hot baths
A long, hot bath in the tub on a frosty day is very tempting, isn’t it? It’s called the spa treatment at home, right? Unfortunately, this is not the best idea. If the skin is in contact with water for too long, its protective coating is damaged, especially when the water is too warm. Therefore, bathing on wintery days should be short, and the water should not be too hot.
CONCLUSIONS
Winters can be long, lonely and hard to get by. Don’t let anything discourage you from putting in the effort to maintain your health- and your skin. And by skin, we mean more than just facial skin, but also the feet and hands. The key factor is not only the selection of the right cosmetics, but also following the rules of care and skin hygiene, which are discussed above. Moisturize, do a skin cleanse, and protect your skin against a “frosty sun”. We’re not getting any younger- at least I’m not. But with a solid skin regimen, ageing doesn’t have to be that bad. Who said a couple gray hairs, and maybe a wrinkle here and there, don’t add charm to one’s persona. But that’s something we can revisit on another day.
Check out our other article about skincare here
