Have you ever noticed how the seasons affect your skin tone and texture? If so, you may have observed that the colder winter months tend to make your skin appear dry and rough. Your skin can dehydrate due to the strong winter winds, low humidity, and cold air. Your face, hands, feet, and other exposed regions of skin may all start to look much less luminous than usual.
Why is my skin so dry in the winter? How do I stop my skin from getting dry in the winter? These are very common questions that come to mind as soon as there is a change in weather conditions after Diwali, right?
Even when temperatures drop and there is no way to avoid the dry, chilly air of winter, there are certain winter skincare routine tips you can do to keep your skin looking healthy. Here are a few tips and tricks to treat dry skin in winter.
1. Moisturise After Bathing
Your skin loses its natural oils whenever you wash your hands, face, or body. Replace these oils frequently because they aid in retaining moisture. Because of this, it’s crucial to hydrate your skin after every wash, especially in the winter.
Try keeping a bottle of moisturiser next to your sink as a handy reminder, and carry a travel-size moisturiser with you when you’re out and about.
2. Limit Your Time In The Shower
Since our skin is the largest organ in our body, it makes perfect sense that when it becomes irritated, we become agitated. While you can’t change your surroundings, try modifying your bathing regimen, especially in the winter when dry, sensitive skin is more prevalent.
Hot water strips your skin of its protective oil and dries it further. Keep the heat set to medium to protect your delicate skin.
To prevent dry skin, keep your showers to 10 to 15 minutes, and only take one daily.
iii. Apply sulfate-free bathing soaps and gels. Because of the presence of sulfate in soaps, your skin’s texture is damaged, making it appear dry and lifeless.
3. Don’t Exfoliate Too Often
Avoid over-scrubbing or exfoliating your body, as this might result in tiny scrapes that dry out your skin excessively. Too much exfoliation can occasionally remove your skin’s natural oils, worsening skin dryness. Although rubbing to remove dry skin can seem like a good idea, abrasive cleansers and towels can irritate delicate skin. Avoid using abrasive items, especially if your skin is dry. If you do decide to scrub, do it gently. The oils in your skin are also known to be dried out by soap.
4. Look Out For Emollients
Emollients work incredibly well to moisturise. They can, however, take longer to sink into your skin because they are a heavier type of cream.
Your skin will have the time it needs to absorb the therapy and for the emollient to replace your skin with the moisture and oils it needs if you apply an emollient overnight. Did you know that emollients are helpful not only for people with dry, rough skin but also for people with eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis as well?
5. Read Labels Carefully
Not all moisturisers are made the same way or with the same ingredients. Because they’re simpler to use, lotions are considerably more common, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the ideal kind of agent to hydrate your skin. Lotions include significant amounts of alcohol and scent, which can cause skin irritation. Creams are preferred by dermatologists versus lotion.
Consider choosing a cream with hyaluronic acid and ceramide, which are moisture-friendly compounds, rather than botanicals like lavender, tea tree oil, or coconut oil when shopping for one.
6. Alter Your Skincare Regime
You might want to think about temporarily streamlining your skin care regimen if the dry winter air makes the skin on your face feel particularly sensitive or irritated.
Remember that your skin’s moisture barrier must be in good condition for serums, toners, and other beauty treatments to work effectively.
Additionally, inflamed skin may be more sensitive to substances like alcohol and fragrance. This implies that cosmetics that would typically feel wonderful on your skin could become irritating.
Try to make your skin care regimen straightforward. Consider using a cleanser with a moisturiser and sunscreen in the morning and only a light moisturiser at night.
In Conclusion
Skin care in winter can be tough, but it need not be a dreadful process. With our winter skincare routine tips, you can ensure that your skin is soft and beautiful even as the temperature dips outside rapidly.
How do you keep your skin healthy in a dry climate? Do let us know. We’d love to hear from you.