The heat has been blasting non stop for weeks now and there seems to be no end in sight. For most people, this means dry, cracked skin anywhere from your face, lips hands to feet. Between the dry weather and the never ending pumping of heat everywhere we go, our skin is literally being sucked dry of its moisture.
How To Cure Dry Skin
Hydrated skin is happy skin. It keeps you looking young and it just feels better. Creating winter skincare habits are essential to keeping dry cracked skin at bay. It all starts with your morning shower in my opinion and continues through to your bedtime routine. Dry skin seems to be plaguing everyone this time of year and today I’m sharing the best products to cure dry winter skin. These are the essential skincare products and habits I swear by that help to truly cure your skincare winter blues.
The Best Skincare Products To Cure Dry Skin
In The Shower
I like to shave my legs with baby oil and for good reason. It’s instantly hydrating, makes for a better closer shave and acts as a moisturizer. I never, I mean NEVER, use a moisturizer on my legs if I shave that morning with baby oil. No matter how dry or how much heat is pumping through my house. But the one thing to really try to avoid in the winter time (which I know is SO hard) is to avoid super hot showers. Hot water dries out the skin in a shower making you have to work even harder to hydrate your skin. Try to not take insanely hot showers to help keep dry skin away.
Baby Oil
Fact, you’ll get a better shave and longer-lasting hydration if you swap out your shaving cream for this baby aisle staple. I swear by this stuff and it’s my saving grace especially most in the wintertime.
Post Shower Routine
A post-shower routine is essential to maintaining hydrated skin throughout the day. It’s ideal to put moisturizer on your body when it’s still a little damp. Your skin will absorb it better making for longer-lasting hydration. Always remember to use SPF even during the winter months. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t get a sunburn. In fact, I had my WORST sunburn of my entire life while snowboarding Mt. Hood. The sun reflects off the white snow and amplifies it resulting in harmful rays damaging your skin. And don’t forget about the rest of your body! Hydrate your skin all over with a body serum and moisturizer. Below are some of my favorites.
for the body
Necessaire Body Serum
I love the Necessaire products and this body serum is an essential step in a body skincare routine. Especially in the winter. Packed with hyaluronic acid which helps to retain more moisture, this will help keep your skin hydrated all day. It also has niacinamide which helps with your skincare barrier allowing it to also retain moisture better. Put this on before your moisturizer for an added layer of hydration.
Necessaire Body Lotion
After using the serum, I then use the body lotion. I have a few that I like, but this one has been a favorite. It comes in a few fragrance options, but fragrance free is great too as I know many people like to avoid any scents in their skincare products.
Cetaphil
A great drugstore buy that does what it needs to. Hydrates and doesn’t have any strong perfumes in it. This is a great daily moisturizer for all over your body. This product does not contain sunscreen, so if you plan on exposing those limbs to the winter sun, add a little SPF.
for the face
Cosmedix Humidify
My daily routine won’t ever not consist of Cosmedix. I’ve been a die-hard fan for many years and you’ve heard me rave about it here and here. I recently tried the product, Humidify. Intense hydration that not only helps to hydrate, but also helps to boost the integrity of the skin to fight against dehydration. I like that their products are proactive like this. And fun fact, I actually have been using this on my cracked heels and it’s made a HUGE difference.
Hydrating Serum
The best way to really infuse hydration into your skin and make the biggest difference is to change out your serum. Opt for one that’s super hydrating with hyaluronic acid. I love the Surge serum from Cosmedix. Pricy, but lasts a long time and is potent. You can browse more serums in this post. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and niacinamide.
Night Cream
To really work on your skin’s hydration issue, applying a moisture-rich night cream can work wonders. Make sure to cleanse your skin and exfoliate and remove any dead skin cells before applying a night cream so that you can really penetrate the skin. I really like this Cosmedix cream for night time.
For Your Hands & Feet
My hands and feet always seem to suffer the most during the winter months. Between my constant handwashing and the climate, they’re usually the worst off. I like to use a few products that I keep handy for great hydration. I also end up having a bottle of hand moisturizer at every sink in my house. Right after I wash my hands, I apply moisturizer to help replenish my skin. It’s a winter habit I can’t recommend enough.
Remedy+ 911 Ointment
For severely cracked or dry skin this is the best cure. Skinfix is a fantastic brand for combating skin issues from acne to breakouts and even dry cracked irritated skin. They’re a clean brand as well which is a plus, This Remedy+ 911 Ointment is great for cracked heels, dry sandpaper-like hands and more.
Aquaphor
If you suffer from dry cracked feet try slathering your feet up with Aquaphor and putting on socks right before bed. You’ll wake up to softer skin for sure. This product is also fragrance-free if you’re sensitive to that. Works great on chapped lips or if you’ve been blowing your nose with a cold (like I was the first week of 2018) this helps to heal up that raw skin. I would say this is the drugstore cheaper version of the Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment. But I think the Skinfix one works much faster.
Hand Creams
I have a few that I rotate through and keep throughout my home. Lately, I’m loving the Necessaire hand lotion since it’s fragrance free. I just always look for ingredients like shea butter, peptides and niacinamide for a good hand cream product.
Amlactin
Lactic acid is a great exfoliator for dry skin. Amlactin is a really good foot cream with 15% lactic acid to help renew the skin. This product also has hydrating ingredients in it. Put this on daily to see a huge difference in your cracked dry heels.
Foot Peel
These are so fun to do and are just mind blowing. You basically soak your foot in these little bags of a solution that helps to really exfoliate your skin. In a few days, your entire foot will peel. Yes, peel. It’s SO satisfying. This makes a huge difference in your dry cracked heels. Just prepare yourself, this will be disgusting and you want to make sure you time it for when you don’t need to have your feet showing for anything.
Combat Dry Cracked Lips
Did you know that your lips don’t have any sebaceous glands (along with the palm of your hands, feet and under-eye) making this skin the hardest to keep hydrated. These glands help to produce oil where hair follicles are to keep things well, hydrated. Maintaining a good lip care regimen is crucial during cold months. I like to use Vaseline at night and always keep lip balm in my purse, car, desk drawer, you name it.
Vaseline
I use this on my lips daily. Every night before I head to bed I put a nice layer on my lips. This is also a great cure for a raw nose from blowing your nose day in and day out when you have a cold. You can also swap out Aquaphor for Vaseline for similar results for soft feet! I like the little tins that I keep in my desk. But also have the mini vaseline containers around my house too. They’re adorable.
SuperGoop! Fusion Lip Balm
If there’s not a Chapstick, or Vaseline within arm’s reach, this is another favorite always at my fingertips. I have one of these at my desk, in my purse, you name it! SuperGoop! is a favorite brand and they always make great products that are also clean.
For more skincare favorites, check out this ultimate skincare list!
Photo by Hannah Lozano
