Winter is the season of dry, flaking skin and angry red noses. It’s the time when spider veins and chapped lips start to appear, making you look haggard and lacking rest. This article tackles the usual skin problems that arise because of the cold season, and some tips in order to keep your skin supple and smooth during the cold winter months.
Winter Woes – What Cold Does To The Skin
The dropping temperatures, harsh winter winds, indoor heating and low humidity takes its toll on one’s skin. These harsh weather conditions force the water to evaporate from your skin quickly. It’s a well-established fact that water is needed for skin hydration, and dehydrated skin will make you look less than stellar – your skin will look saggy and wrinkly, effectively guaranteeing you to look way older than you do.
Vanity aside, it is important to treat dehydrated skin because it makes you more prone to skin diseases and bacteria. Remember, dry skin is prone to friction – and small gaps and cuts in the skin can easily allow microorganisms in leading to problems like acne. Of course, a good layer of moisture also serves as a barricade against the barrage of infectious viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Tips on Winter-Proofing your Skin
#1 Invest in quality moisturizers
Your skin will feel tight and dry during the upcoming winter months, so it’s best to switch from the usual trusted moisturizers that you use during summer and spring.
You should choose a product that will effectively moisturize your skin, but it has to be the type of moisturizer that doesn’t make you break out. Narrow your search down from hundreds of potentials. If you have dry skin, try to use moisturizers that are oil-based, since oils and lipids are effective in creating a protective barrier on your skin to prevent water from getting lost in the winter air. Oil-based moisturizers also contain ‘non-clogging’ ingredients such as mineral oil, almond oil or avocado oil.
To absorb more moisture in your body, you can also try to look for humectants, which contains sorbitol, glycerine or alpha-hydroxy acids, which are successful in locking in moisture in your skin. However, if you have oily skin to begin with, then you should consider a water-based moisturizer. It works just as well, without adding more sebum to your skin.
#2 Keep your shower-time short
It’s tempting to turn up the water thermostat way up when taking a shower to take a break from the cold. While it may be comforting at the moment; it creates an adverse effect on your skin. Hot showers, especially those done too long, can strip your skin off of the essential lipids and water that keep it supple and moisturized. In order to prevent your skin from turning of that to a prune (which is a signal that your skin’s natural oil levels are way too low), you should cut your shower time to no more than ten minutes, and try to use lukewarm water instead of a hot blast from the shower.
#3 Eat right
Where the weather is cold, it’s easy to fall into the comforting trap of sugary hot chocolate or coffee – and too much sugar can lead to excess spots. Sugar is a main stimulant of the sebaceous glands, the glands responsible for too much oil. Sweets also stimulate androgen production in women, which also adds to your spotty problem. In order to avoid oil spots, try eating food rich in vitamin E and collagen, such as avocado, blueberries and mangoes.
#4 Choose the right kind of cleanser
Scrubs and other harsh cleansers may strip away the essential oils and lipids in your skin, making it more prone to developing pimples and other skin problems. In the winter, it’s essential to keep the oils and moisture locked in your skin, so you should avoid the harsh cleansers and over-cleansing your face. Choose milder formulas, such as those cleansers for oily/combination skin. Wash your face twice daily, once in the morning and once at night.
#5 Don’t forget sunscreen
Sunscreen isn’t only needed for summer days. Ultraviolet rays don’t vanish the moment the weather turns cold. In fact, you should use sunscreen with higher SPF and reapply more often if it’s snowing out. Snow is the best reflector of ultraviolet light, so you’re twice at risk in exposing your skin to UV light.
What about you, how do you winter-proof your skin? Do you have any tips and recommendations that have been tried and tested?
Good call on the SPF. A lot of people forget that!