Winter Skincare Tips to Keep Your Glow During the Cold, Dry Months

Written by: Erin Sevigny

 

Cold, dry weather is not a friend to your skin. Most people notice that their skin loses moisture and becomes flaky during the winter months. People with chronic skin conditions report a worsening of symptoms and some even experience painful flare-ups that compromise both their quality of life and their appearance.

You can take steps to limit the ill effects of winter weather on your skin. After exploring some of the more severe winter skin challenges, this article provides 10 winter skincare tips you can implement immediately to help your skin look and feel healthy throughout the winter months.

 

Common Winter Skin Challenges

Many people with serious dermatological conditions find the winter months particularly challenging and seek out winter skin care tips by dermatologists and other skin care specialists. Some of the most common of these conditions include:

Eczema

Eczema, the itchy red patches of skin caused by an immune system response to stress and other triggers, worsens in the winter months. The combination of dry and cold air can trigger unsightly and uncomfortable flare-ups.

Psoriasis

The scaly, itchy skin patches that characterize psoriasis worsen for many sufferers during the wintertime. Cold, dry weather and shorter days, which diminish the skin’s exposure to sunlight, can make the flares of this chronic skin disease look and feel worse.

Rosacea

Cold weather is a well-known trigger for rosacea, and the flushing flare-ups can last weeks or months. If not treated, the disorder can permanently damage skin and eyes. Consistent winter skincare is essential for this condition.

 

10 Expert Winter Skincare Tips

While you can’t stop cold weather from affecting your skin, you can develop a healthy winter skincare routine to reduce the effects. To get started, consider following these 10 expert winter skincare tips.

Use a Gentle, Hydrating Cleanser

If you use foaming face washes or other types of cleansers with acidic ingredients, you remove the natural oils in your skin every time you wash your face or shower. Many body washes and cleansers contain glycolic or salicylic acid, which is known to dry out the skin. Switch to winter skincare products like moisturizing lotion-based cleansers, as cream cleansers strip less of your skin’s oil.

Tone and Moisturize Right After Cleansing

Even if you use a hydrating cleanser, you’ll remove your skin’s natural moisturizing oil each time you cleanse. It’s essential, therefore, to replenish this moisture as soon as possible. Apply toner and immediately moisturize with skincare products for winter after cleansing.

Moisturize with a Rich Cream

Choose your moisturizer wisely in the winter. You’ll want to use something cream-based that feels luxurious and locks in oils. Look for ingredients like glycerine, dimethicone, lanolin, jojoba, and shea butter.

Take the time to deeply moisturize areas that get the most exposure to the cold winter air, including your face, hands, arms, and legs. Consider applying extra moisturizer at night and wearing gloves and socks to keep moisture in your hands and feet.

Apply Sunscreen on Both Sunny and Cloudy Days

The sun’s harmful rays don’t rest in the winter, even if you aren’t feeling the heat. On snowy days when the sun is shining, you get additional exposure to harmful UV rays reflecting off the snow. Harmful UV radiation cuts through clouds, so don’t let down your guard because it’s a gray and gloomy winter day. Make it a routine to apply sunscreen every day, even in the winter months.

Use a Humidifier Indoors

One of the easiest winter skin care home remedies is simply restoring the moisture to indoor living and work spaces with a humidifier. Not only will keeping your indoor humidity level between 30% and 50% help prevent dry skin, but it will also help soothe the tissues in your nose and throat, easing allergy and winter cold symptoms.

Treat Yourself to a Facial

Treating yourself to a professional facial is the best way to restore moisture while rejuvenating skin cells, promoting circulation, and even reducing congestion. Be sure to work with experienced skin care specialists with the training and expertise to address your specific needs while providing a relaxing experience. Treat yourself to a facial in Nashville; you’ll love the results!

Protect Lips with Lip Balm

Skincare in winter includes addressing chapped lips, especially if you spend much time outdoors engaging in winter activities. Prevent your lips from becoming chapped by keeping a cream-based lip moisturizing balm on hand — preferably with an SPF for sun protection — and apply it liberally.

Limit Hot Water Exposure

Although luxuriating in a long hot bath or shower may feel great in winter, both wreak havoc on your skin. Hot water and frequent bathing contribute to drying out your skin. Use warm water instead of hot and don’t linger too long. When you get out, gently pat your skin dry before applying moisturizer to slightly damp skin.

Exfoliate Gently

Gently exfoliate regularly using a light scrub to slough off dry skin. Be sure to rinse immediately and then apply moisturizer directly.

Stay Hydrated

Another easy-to-adopt winter skincare homemade tip is to simply drink more water. While staying hydrated is always a good idea, you’ll want to increase your water intake and reduce dehydrating fluids like alcohol, coffee, and soda when the air is dryer in the winter.

 

Pamper Your Skin This Winter With Franklin Skin Studio

Adopting a winter skincare routine for dry skin will go a long way to keep your skin feeling and looking its best during the cold and dry time of year. While winter skin care home remedies are great for day-to-day maintenance, seeking professional skin care advice and services is always a good idea, especially if you’re experiencing dry, flaky skin or some other winter-weather-related skin condition.

The expert aestheticians at Franklin Skin Studio offer outstanding facial services in the Nashville area — including a rejuvenating, hydrating oxygen facial, an acne treatment facial, and even a personalized facial designed for your specific skin needs — to help you maintain a healthy glow during the winter months.

To speak to a Franklin Skin Studio skin care specialist, book an appointment for a facial, or find out about the kind of winter skin care products that will protect your skin, give us a call at 615-509-4730 today.