5 winter skin care tips you need to know

Whether you love the winter, or hate it, one thing remains true; winter can be so unforgiving to your skin! The cold and windy weather leaves skin feeling raw and irritated, and indoor heat blasting makes skin dry. It truly seems like skin can’t catch a break during the colder months! But with the help of some winter skincare tips, your skin doesn’t have to suffer all season long!

SWITCH OUT YOUR PRODUCTS

Even if you have the most consistent skin, chances are you’ll need to make some changes to your routine when the cold weather comes along. 

Due to the cold and dry air in the winter, skin can become more dry, sensitive, or prone to irritation. So, during the winter months, your skin might benefit from more hydrating products. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, and squalene all help skin retain moisture, thus keeping skin healthy and hydrated. You can find these ingredients in moisturizers, serums, cleansers, or oils. 

LATHER UP

When in doubt, lather up! Nothing makes skin drier than, well, cold and dry air, (which is what we’re typically dealing with during the winter months). Even if you typically skip out on applying a body lotion, you definitely don’t want to do that during the winter! 

Body lotions and moisturizers will easily have your skin feeling well hydrated, smooth, and soft all winter long.

The absolute best times to apply lotion are right after a shower to help lock in moisture and right before bed, to keep your skin hydrated throughout the night. 

A great winter skincare tip is to also keep a bottle of lotion in key places so you don’t forget to apply it.

BARRIER REPAIR

If your skin is extremely dry, irritated, or you’re dealing with some persistent break outs; you could be in need of some serious barrier repair!

Your skin’s barrier, the outermost layer of your skin, provides protection to your skin and body from environmental factors and bacteria and keeps moisture locked in. With the help of the oils your skin naturally produces, your skin is kept protected, hydrated, and healthy. Unfortunately, oils get depleted or damaged from poor handling, harsh products, and other external factors, (including weather conditions). When this happens, you could be left with itchy, flaky, irritated skin, and even acne. 

To keep your skin healthy and happy, you need to make sure your barrier is healthy and happy too! Simplifying your routines and using less products, avoiding excess actives in your ingredients, and keeping skin well hydrated are all ways to keep your skin’s barrier strong and in good shape! 

EXFOLIATE OFTEN

With both the cold and dry air, skin gets dehydrated much faster during the winter, which means you’re left with more dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin. 

Exfoliating regularly helps remove those dead skin cells, plus bacteria and dirt, leaving your skin looking so much healthier and smoother. Moisturizers and other hydrating serums are able to do their jobs much better on skin that’s been exfoliated. Aim for exfoliating at least once a week during the winter months. 

And like many of the other winter skincare tips on this list, this one also applies to both body and face! Your body will feel much softer and hydrated when you exfoliate consistently.

DON’T SKIP THE SPF!

Don’t even think about it.

Sunscreen is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. UV rays don’t just disappear because it’s cold out, in fact, sometimes they’re stronger, and you can still catch a sunburn during the winter. 
So don’t make a major skin-care mistake and forget to apply sunscreen daily during the colder months!

Your skin absolutely needs sun protection all year round, so make sure you’ve found a sunscreen that you love enough to use every single day!