Protect your skin from the harsh, cold, disrespectful weather with these helpful tips.

There is always something about the freezing cold winter weather that sends emotional and literal chills up one’s spine.  You know – the thought of walking from the house to the train station.  Walking your pet in the dark, cold early hours of the morning.  Warming up your car while scraping off thick, heavy, icy snow.  Add to that the fact that you have to spend the extra time layering on pounds of clothing so you don’t freeze to death and you’ve created a whole new way of living.  With all the adjustments you make to your wardrobe (and life in general) to survive the cold weather, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate the effectiveness of and make adjustments to your winter skincare routine.

We all know the cold winter months are particularly harsh on the skin.  There is less humidity in the air so between the cold air outdoors, dry heat from indoor/car heat and super hot showers which deplete moisture, skin can become more sensitive, dry, and flaky.  Your skin is also more likely to show fine lines and wrinkles when it usually doesn’t.  So, since your regular skincare routine wont suffice…

Consider Your Cleanser

This time of year, you may actually need to use a different cleanser to help break down makeup and dirt.  An oil cleanser such as Amore Pacific Treatment Cleansing Oil Face & Eyes or balm cleanser like Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm tends to be gentle yet highly effective on the skin.  Even more oily skin types can experience dryness and dehydration during the winter months and could benefit from a more gentle cleanser that lathers such as Fresh Soy Face Cleanser or Tatcha The Deep Cleanse.  If you are sensitive or extremely dry, consider a milk cleanser like Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk.

For the body, Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash which includes soothing emollients and colloidal oatmeal can do wonders for dry itchy skin.  To seal in moisture, when drying off, be sure to pat your skin dry with your towel and follow up with a rich moisturizer like Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion with Almond Oil.

Amp Up Your Moisturizer

Adding oils to your moisturizer and using overnight sleeping masks can be the key to added moisture, keeping skin soft and supple during cold weather months.  While face oils alone may not hydrate, they are great for adding to moisturizers and foundations for an added boost in efficacy and skincare benefits.  The Ordinary 100% Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil and Sunday Riley Juno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil are great because they help restore the skin’s moisture barrier and give skin radiance and luminosity, both of which tend to fade away during the cold months.  Sleeping masks like Laneige Water Sleeping Mask work overnight to recharge and deeply hydrate the skin.  This is a great time for skincare products because they do the work while your skin is in repair mode.

During this time of year, you may also need to switch your eye cream.  It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye not only adds moisture to the under eye area but it also brightens and depuffs, helping the under eye area look smooth, making it a great prep for under eye concealer.  Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream helps to illuminate the under eye while delivering intense hydration.  If you need a quick boost, apply eye patches like Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches.  Used in addition to your eye cream, these patches will give additional vitality and boost of hydration to the under eye area.

Lips also suffer tremendously during this time of the year.  From eating and drinking (which can remove lip product you apply), to using products like matte liquid lip stains, lips will get dry and flaky.  Using products that are rich in emollient butters will help to repair and protect the lips.  Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm restores lips with shea butter and jojoba oil.  If you need a product that does deeper repair, Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is an overnight treatment that heals with vitamin C and antioxidants, leaving your lips nice and soft in the morning.

Remember not to neglect the skin on the rest of the body and pay particular attention to feet, knees and elbows with a moisturizer that will replenish oils and nutrients to the skin.  Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion with Almond Oil  not only relieves dry, itchy skin but also gives skin a glow.  Hands and cuticles also suffer because of activities like extra hand washing to help prevent winter sickness.  deborah lippman rich girl handcream (SPF 25) and Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream both contain avocado and shea butter to heal and replenish dry, cracked hands and cuticles.

Exfoliate

Gently exfoliating 1-2 times a week does wonders for the skin but don’t overdo it.  Over-exfoliation does more harm than good by disrupting the moister barrier, leaving it prone to irritation and even breakouts.  Other than that, by removing dead, flaky skin, all other skin products will absorb and work better.  For face, Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask Seaweed Radiance Facial is a two in one facial, great for all skin types, that smooths and restores radiance.  If you are a Clarisonic lover, although you can use it twice a day, consider using it only in the evening or every other day if you find that your skin feels drier and tighter after you have made other adjustments in your skin care routine.  For the rest of your body, SW Basics Cream Scrub, a moisturizer and gentle scrub in one, will make skin soft and smooth in one step.  And for those who are minimalists when it comes to ingredients, this one is for you as it is made in small batches with only four organic ingredients:  sugar, shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil.

Monitor your heat sources

Yes, you are cold to your core and yes, all you want to do is thaw out but putting your central heating and your bath/shower water on hell will make matters worse.  Home heaters, whether they are space heaters or central heating is dry air and will dehydrate your skin.  When heating your home, have the heat come up intermittently and consider getting a humidifier to add moisture into the air.  When showering or bathing, keep both activities short and the water tepid.

You Are What You Eat

Sounds so cliche but making sure you have balanced eating habits is always a good idea.  Things like added sugars, caffeine and other processed foods can exacerbate dry skin concerns.  Refined sugars lead to inflammation which robs skin of nutrients making it dry, flaky, irritated and can even aggravate acne problems.  You don’t have to vilify and completely stop consuming these foods however moderation is always a good practice.  Also, it goes without saying to increase your water intake.  In addition, make sure your eating plan includes foods that are nutrient dense as well as with fatty acids and have a higher water content.

When changing your skincare routine, remember that consistency is key.  You can always seek advice from a quality beauty professional and if serious concerns/issues arise with your skin, seek a health professional.

What are your favorite winter skincare tips?