The winter weather can be absolutely brutal on your skin. The dry weather, non stop dry heat pumping in your home and office, and then that cold wind against your skin anytime you’re outside. It’s a recipe for skin disaster. From the sensitive skin on your face, to even your hands and legs, your skin is at risk for being miserable this time of year.
In the winter, your skin can very quickly become dry, chapped, rough and flaky. Maintaining hydrated skin during the dry winter months is always a challenge. With some of these skin care tips for the cold weather, you can ensure your skin stays hydrated and happy. Just like your wardrobe changes with the seasons, so should your skin care routine. From products, to ingredients, tools and more, here are some of my best tips for making sure your skin’s natural moisture stays intact when the cold weather strikes.
Best Skin Care For Cold Weather
Get A Humidifier
Our homes become super dry during the winter between drier temps and all the dry heat that we’re pumping into our homes. To help combat the dry air inside your house, try using a humidifier to add moisture to the air. At the very least, add one to your bedroom so your skin and airways can hydrate while you sleep. If you work from home, I’d also add one to your office area or wherever you spend the majority of your day. This alone can make such a difference in your skin’s natural moisture.
Use A Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Serums are such an important step and product for your skincare routine. A little refresher, serums go on after you’ve cleansed and toned, and before you moisturize. They truly pack a punch and are usually the most potent in terms of ingredients. Hyaluronic acid is probably the #1 ingredient you should be looking for to help your skin’s natural moisture barrier. Use it in a serum and underneath a rich moisturizing cream to ensure ultimate hydration.
In addition to a face serum, I really love the Necessaire body serum that’s packed with hyaluronic acid. This is great to put on after you get out of the shower and before you apply moisturizer to your whole body. Body washes can strip you of your natural oils so adding in this extra step can pack a big punch in terms of hydration.
Cover Your Skin When Outdoors
I notice the moment it gets freezing that my skin dries out instantly on my hands. And it’s from walking my dog several times a day without gloves on during the winter months. Exposing your skin to the dry, windy and cold weather will wreak havoc on your skin and cause it to crack and be irritated. Instead, cover your skin whenever possible when you’re outdoors. I always keep gloves in my dog walking jacket so that I’m wearing them at all times while outside. It makes such a difference in my skin.
Moisturize Immediately After Washing
We wash our hands, body and face all the time and by doing so we are stripping the natural oils from our skin. Just like you shampoo your hair, and then immediately condition afterward, you want to do the same with your skin. After you cleanse your skin, immediately hydrate it. This goes for your hands, face and body. I keep a hand cream at each of my sinks to ensure I’m moisturizing often. And after a shower, always moisturize. Especially since in the winter, we tend to take super hot showers. If you can help it, try to avoid this but I know it just feels so good to stand in a hot steamy shower.
Change Your Cleanser
Depending on your skin type, you may have a different cleanser for different seasons. And if you don’t, you may want to consider this one. I’m quite oily so during the warmer months where my skin creates excess oil thanks to sweat and heat, I use a more exfoliating cleanser to combat the excess oil. But come winter, my skin doesn’t produce AS much oil (although it still is oily) so I switch my exfoliating cleanser to a cream-based one. Ingredients you want to avoid in a cleanser in the winter months if your skin is dry are salicylic acid and AHAs. Instead, search for cleanser ingredients that include glycerin, ceramides, and niacinamide for the skin barrier.
Protect Your Lips
Your lips can instantly dry out and be chapped thanks to wind and low moisture in the air. There are tons of fancy lip balms and scrubs. But let me be real honest with you here. Many are full of crap that doesn’t either address the issue or maintain your current moisture. My lips don’t typically get chapped, so I instead protect them from the elements with Vaseline to be proactive. This helps to lock moisture in so it doesn’t escape. But Vaseline won’t cure chapped lips necessarily. For already chapped, peeling or cracked lips, you’ll want to treat the issue with ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid and fatty acids like sunflower oil. Avoid ingredients like wax, silicone, fragrances and essential oils of any kind.
Use Sunscreen
Yes, I want you to wear sunscreen every single day for many reasons. But the winter is NO different. Just because the days are short and you may not be outside much, exposing your skin to UV rays can stress your skin and that can affect your moisture barrier. So lather up with SPF every single day. Period. No excuses.
Add A Nourishing Cream
Switch up your moisturizer with a more nourishing-rich cream that’s packed with ingredients for dry skin. Use this after you cleanse, tone and add your serum. Or as a night cream for added hydration while you sleep. A few ingredients to look for are glycerin, niacinamide, shea butter, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and aloe vera.
Shave With Baby Oil
This is one of my favorite little beauty tips. For one, shaving with baby oil just gets a closer better shave, period. But it also hydrates the hell out of your skin. When I shave with baby oil in the shower, I do not need to use any moisturizer afterward. Swap your shaving cream for baby oil for an instant change in your skin’s texture.
