As the colder days draw near, it is time for you to tweak your skincare routine slightly to suit the weather and its effect on your skin. Cold winds, ...
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As the colder days draw near, it is time for you to tweak your skincare routine slightly to suit the weather and its effect on your skin. Cold winds, chilly air, and low humidity can make your skin look and feel dry, sensitive, dehydrated, irritated and uncomfortable.
No matter the season – even though it is especially true for winter skincare – you must be conscious of how your skin is reacting to the weather and modify your routine to suit its current needs.
Here’s how you can have glowing winter skin, regardless of skin type.
Winter can be especially harsh on those with dry skin as it increases the natural dryness, sucking out the moisture from the skin, leading to flaky and more damage-prone skin. It is essential to follow a routine that locks in the moisture, keeping your skin well-hydrated at all times.
Choosing the right cleanser is crucial in winter skin care. Bubbly, salicylic acid-based cleansers might be fun to use, but they aren’t doing your dry skin any good. They can be much more drying than other cleansers and not what your skin needs. If you have dry skin, opt for cleansing balms, creams and oils. They will gently and effectively cleanse your skin of all dirt and grime without disrupting the skin barrier while also hydrating it.
Just because you have dry skin doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exfoliate it in winter. It means you must go easy on exfoliants and scrubs, as over-exfoliation can damage your skin.
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and other dirt that could be clogging up your pores. So, you definitely need to exfoliate, even during winter. But limit it to once or twice a week. Ensure you are using a product that’s gentle on your skin, one that cleanses and replenishes your skin’s moisture.
This may sound obvious, but keeping dry skin hydrated during winter is vital. Opt for richer, nourishing moisturisers in your winter skincare routine. They will keep your skin hydrated and help seal in the moisture.
The best winter moisturiser for dry skin has a combination of humectants, emollients and occlusives to create a moisture surge. A humectant is a substance that prevents the loss of moisture. Humectants, like glycerine and hyaluronic acid, attract and bind water into the skin, while occlusives form a layer on the skin, trapping moisture and locking in hydration. For their part, emollients soothe and hydrate the skin, improving skin moisturiser.
Applying sunscreen is a must whether you can see the sun or not. UV rays can damage skin cells, causing further dryness and pigmentation. So, a layer of sunscreen — SPF 30 and above — on top of your moisturiser is essential in your winter skincare routine. It will protect your skin and help prevent any damage caused by harmful UV rays.
Winter is a great time to apply overnight face masks. Apply them at the very end of your night-time winter skincare routine. Overnight face masks will help lock in all the serums and creams you’ve applied during your routine, keeping your dry skin hydrated and nourished all night long. You can also use them as a way to integrate more targeted treatments for your skin into your routine. For example, a night mask infused with retinol or bakuchiol will have anti-aging benefits, including boosting collagen production and smoothening the skin, and a mask with aloe and ceramides will help those with eczema or other skin inflammations.
If you have oily skin, it’s because it produces excess sebum and has large pores. This is why people with oily skin often have breakouts and blemishes. The cold, windy winter weather can exacerbate oil production as the skin seeks to protect itself from the weather. Here are some tips on how you can take care of oily skin in winter.
While it is tempting, refrain from over-cleansing your oily skin (as it can make the skin oilier) and choose a lightweight or gel-based cleaner for your face. Find a cleanser that is gentle on your skin and removes the dirt and excess oil without disrupting your natural barrier. The cold weather might make you believe that you need to clean your oily skin only once during winter, but that’s a mistake. Oil production and the shedding of dead cells don’t stop in winter. So, use a good cleanser after waking up and before going to bed at night as part of your winter skincare routine.
Using a toner helps add moisture, maintains your skin’s pH, tightens pores, reduces excess oil production, and soothes inflamed skin. Toners dabbed onto cotton pads and wiped on the skin also help remove any dirt or impurities the cleanser might have missed. Those with oily skin should opt for toners that contain witch hazel, vitamin C, green tea, glycolic acid, and lactic acid, among others. They will keep pores clean and balance sebum production.
When you have oily skin, you must regularly exfoliate to unclog your pores and remove dead skin cells. Exfoliation at least once a week will help remove all the dirt, dead skin cells and impurities that might have made their way into your pores.
This, in turn, helps prevent breakouts, to give you smooth, supple skin. Choose an exfoliator that helps control sebum but does not over-dry your skin, and include it in your winter skincare routine. Those with oily, acne-prone skin should look for exfoliators that contain salicylic acid. It is an oil-soluble chemical exfoliant that removes excess oil, sloughs away dead skin cells, and reduces sebum production so your skin stays happy and healthy.
The excess oil production might make you tempted to skip the moisturiser during winter, but that would be unwise. It can lead to a lack of moisture, which would lead to a further increase in oil production, making your skin even oilier and shinier than before. Opt for light, water-based moisturisers that absorb easily into the skin. When selecting a moisturiser for your oily skin, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, glycerine, squalene, calendula, niacinamide or green tea.
Whether you have dry, oily or combination skin, sunscreen is a must every single day, even during winter. Even though you might not be able to see the sun on some days, its UV rays can still damage your skin. Those with oily skin can opt for a lightweight sunscreen that is oil-free, water-based, non-comedogenic, absorbent and dry touch with a matte finish.
Due to its unique nature, the key to caring for combination skin is finding products that offer the right balance of cleansing and nourishing. Your routine should avoid heavy products that make your skin feel greasy or coated, clogging your pores and making you prone to breakouts and bumps. Stay clear of rich cleansers and moisturisers; instead, layer lightweight products with nourishing ingredients that soothe your skin. Opt for a water-soluble cleanser, a toner with skin-replenishing ingredients, a lightweight moisturiser that hydrates your skin, and an oil-free sunscreen for your winter skincare routine. Apply a slightly heavier lotion or gel-textured moisturiser at night for deeper hydration. You can also apply serums or heavier moisturisers to your dry areas for a targeted effect.
With these tips, you can tackle winter like a pro and take care of your skin so that it happy and hydrated all season long.
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