The winter season is arguably the worst time of the year for skin health. It’s characteristic cold temperatures and dry air sap the skin’s natural moisture, which causes a wide range of problems. You may notice your skin peeling, flaking and/or feeling rough. This is why it’s important to follow some basic steps to ensure your skin remains healthy all year long.
Exfoliate
We talked about this in a previous blog post, but it’s worth mentioning again that exfoliation plays an important role in skin health, especially during winter. Most people neglect basic skincare when the temperature drops, which results in pores being clogged with oil, dirt and dead skin cells. Exfoliating, however, will remove unclog your pores by removing this debris, allowing healthy new skin cells to form in its place. A good rule of thumb is to exfoliate once per week, no more or no less.
Protect Your Lips
The winter weather can wreck havoc on your lips, drying them out and possibly causing them to crack. To prevent this form happening, apply lip balm before going outside. Doing so will moisture your lips while simultaneously creating a barrier against the winter season’s cold, dry air.
Wear Gloves
How can gloves improve your skin health this winter? Well, the winter season is characterized by low humidity (dry air), which subsequently causes the skin to dry out. Wearing a pair of gloves, however, will encourage your skin’s moisture to remain trapped inside instead of evaporating. You don’t have to spend a fortune on some fancy designer-name gloves, as any solid wool or cotton gloves will suffice.
Moisturize
Arguably, the single most important step in winter skincare is to use a daily moisturizing cream or lotion. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, your skin will inevitably lose some of its moisture content from the dry air. You can resupply this lost moisture, though, with a daily application of moisturizing cream or lotion. A proper moisturizer will offer long-lasting relief of skin dryness and related irritation, keeping your skin soft and vibrant.
Take Shorter Showers (and Baths)
There’s nothing that compares to the feeling of a hot shower on a cold winter day. With that said, you should avoid taking long showers and baths during the winter. The hot water and steam will dry out your skin, leaving it feeling rough and leathery when you get out.
