As the temperature begins to drop and humidity levels start to decrease, many can’t help but notice how the dry winter air draws moisture away from their skin. The combination of harsh winds and indoor heating also contribute to issues you may face like cracked or bleeding skin.
To learn more about how to take care of your skin this winter season consider following a dermatologist approved routine.
How Do I Change My Skincare Routine for Winter?
Do you know why winter weather affects the way your skin looks and feels? Dermatologists recommend you change up your skincare routine as the colder temperatures set in because colder climates lead to dead skin cell buildup as well as breakouts. This buildup causes oil and bacteria to become trapped beneath the skin’s surface. During the colder months, we try escaping the low temperatures by spending lots of time indoors with the central heating on high! Although this may seem like a harmless way to stay warm, this can cause your skin to become dehydrated.
Hydrate Your Skin
If your skin is dehydrated, it can appear flaky and dull. Keeping your skin hydrated is important if you want to have healthy looking and feeling skin. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to prevent your skin from becoming dehydrated so that you experience less breakouts and dry skin. In order to hydrate your skin you must increase its water content. The more hydrated your skin becomes, the more smooth, radiant, and even its tone will be.
To achieve this here are some tips on how to hydrate your skin:
Drink Plenty of Water
Strive to implement foods that are rich in water and drink plenty of fluids each day to ensure our bodies are hydrated.
Use Face Masks/Sheets
By adding a hydrating face mask to your daily skin routine, it can minimize fine lines and dark circles as well as keep your skin plump and moist.
Moisturize Daily
Applying a generous amount of moisturizer throughout the day is a great way to rejuvenate your skin and assist with any dehydration that may occur during any time of the year.
Buy A Home Humidifier
During the winter months the moisture content in the air around you is low. A humidifier can be used to add moisture back into the air and protect your skin from becoming dry and dehydrated.
Wear Sunscreen
Dermatologists recommend the use of sunscreen each day. Using sunscreen has many benefits such as preventing UVA and UVB skin damage as well as protecting the strength and elasticity which causes premature aging.
Exfoliate Your Skin Regularly
Exfoliating your skin eliminates dry patches, dead cells, and anything that has accumulated due to the lack of moisture. You should exfoliate your skin once every 4-5 days because if you over-exfoliate it may disrupt the natural skin barrier. This can lead to moisture loss if not careful.
What Should My Daytime Skin Care Routine Be?
It’s important to always adjust your routine to the climate around you. Adding skincare products to your routine that rehydrate and add moisture back to your skin will allow you to achieve healthy skin during the winter months. Dermatologists recommend adding or continuing to use the following skincare products in order to prevent dry, dehydrated skin.
Gentle Exfoliants
Toning down the strength of your exfoliant can allow you to avoid potential irritation. Winter months can cause your skin to become more sensitive than usual. During the times that your skin may react negatively to a scrub exfoliant, try using a chemical exfoliant instead to help treat tight, flaky skin and to improve moisture retention.
Night Oils and Vitamin C Serum
Night oils are a great way to implement different ingredients that will improve moisture retention. They contain antioxidants that allow your skin to repair itself overnight when you sleep. Multi-oil blends do not just rejuvenate your skin short-term, but they help long-term as well.
Adding vitamin C to your skincare routine will help to stimulate collagen production so that it can better retain moisture. Vitamin C boosts and brightens skin while protecting it from harmful external sources. Throughout the summer months, our skin experiences a higher concentration of harmful UV rays. These UV rays cause premature aging and cause damage to the skin’s texture and tone. Vitamin C serums can be used to give the skin a natural healthy glow and reverse damaged areas.
Cleansing Oil and Balms
The products you use in your winter skincare routine should be safe for sensitive skin. Winter climates can increase the chances for negative reactions to occur from products you normally use during warmer months. Using cleansing oils and balms will prevent oil from being stripped away from your skin compared to foaming or other abrasive cleansers. As temperatures drop, the amount of oil our skin produces begins to decrease. In order to effectively clean pores or remove makeup, try choosing a cream, oil, or balm formula that can safely cleanse the skin without stripping oil from the skin.
Thicker Moisturizers
Moisturizing is a great year round skincare practice and lightweight moisturizers may be enough during the summer since there is more moisture in the air, but cooler temperatures call for a more hydrating moisturizer. Due to how dry the air can be and the harsh central heating we undergo indoors, thicker moisturizers during the winter can help seal in hydration.
Sunscreen
No matter the weather or time of year, always wear sunscreen. Using SPF should be a part of your daily skincare routine that stays consistent. UV rays are harmful to your skin in the winter too. It’s important to apply sunscreen to all areas of the skin that are exposed such as the neck, ears, hands, etc.
Dermatologists Recommend
Specializing in hair, nails, and skin, dermatologists can help recommend products for sensitive skin or skin conditions. It is just as important to have a skincare routine geared towards your skin type as well as the current climate.
Associated Dermatologists are all board-certified specialists, and we want to help YOU fight through your medical dermatology needs. Associated Dermatologists continuously strives to give all our patients the best possible medical care in Birmingham. See our services we offer so that you can achieve healthy skin, hair, and nails today.