7 Essential Winter Skin Care Tips That You Should Follow
How to take care of skin during winters?
Winters are here and your skin moisture is keeping a
distance from you. As soon as the winter arrives, you need to do a little extra
care for your skin. The harsh and cold weather outside and dry air inside take
the moisture away from your skin. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that winter
can create havoc and there would be no escape for your skin.
Cold, windy situations outside make your skin dry, flaky,
itchy, and red. Once your skin starts drying, it becomes more accessible to
cracks and bleeds.
Why the skin becomes dry in winter?
Our skin has a tendency to absorb moisture naturally from
the environment to maintain its hydration. Winter has a low humid temperature
making it difficult for the skin to retain the natural moistures and hence
making it dry.
Our skin has certain protective barriers/ layers which
safeguard the natural essential oils in the body that are necessary for skin
health. Winter enables us to use harsh soaps and frequent hot water damages the
skin’s protective layer.
All these together make the skin dry, chapped, flaky, and
cracky.
Here are some do’s and don’ts for your skin to survive
the harsh weather. Don’t compromise with your skincare regime in the winter.
Following are some tips to keep your skin smooth, soft,
and hydrated during winters.
Change your cleanser
If you feel dry and have tight skin after cleansing the
face, then you need to get a milder cleanser. Get a product that feels light on
the skin, moisturizes your face, has weakened acidic properties, and maintains
the pH level of the skin.
Use a hydrating moisturizer
If your regular lotion or gel-based cream isn’t working
out for your skin, it means your skin demands heavier, oil-based, or
cream-based moisturizers that lock in the moisture in the skin. A good moisturizer
will soothe the skin and prevent it from itching.
Apply the moisturizer right after washing your face, and
also don’t forget to keep your hands, feet, elbows, knees and other dry areas
to be moisturized thoroughly. Also, include moisturizing in your night-care
routine.
Keep sunscreen closer, even on cooler days
On warmer days, your hands automatically reach the
sunscreen, but sunscreen is even more important during winter to shield your
skin from those harmful UVs. UV rays are subjected to skin damage in regards to
hyperpigmentation, sunburns, rashes, premature skin aging, and even skin
cancer, hence keeping skin protected from the rays should be your
priority.
Opt for SPF 30 or higher sunscreens and cover your face,
neck, hands, and all exposed area including ears, and back of the neck. Apply
it at least twice a day or if you are outside or on slopes, reapply it every 2
hours.
A healthy diet is a key
Maintaining a healthy diet and proper food intake helps
the body to retain water content and boost sebum production. It is advisable to
consume foods rich in minerals, antioxidants, fatty acids, and Vitamin E, A,
and C to maintain skin health. Likewise,
avoid processed, packed, junk foods, and sugar. Similarly, look out for
your alcohol consumption and put a brake on smoking as these both dehydrate the
body and make your skin even drier.
Include some seasonal fruits rich in Vitamins and
antioxidants in your diets like – Amla, Papaya, Pineapple, Banana, and Avocado.
Drink plenty of water
No matter what the season is, the skin will inevitably be
healthy if your body is hydrated enough. Especially in winters, our water
intake gets decreases, which turns to be a double loss of moisture from the
skin. During cold weather, take a sip of water in regular intervals and indulge
yourself with warm winter teas like green tea, lemon tea, or ginger and lemon!
Gentle Exfoliation
Gentle exfoliation increases the blood flow of the skin
and hence is a good option for healthy, bright, and glowing skin. Do not over
scrub as it removes the protective layers of the skin. Use mild exfoliator and
rub gently in the circular motion. It is recommended to exfoliate two to three
times a week, but always keep a watch on your skin and if required, reduce it
to once or twice a week.
Choose comfortable clothes
Irritation on dry skin escalates if you wear tight
clothes. Loose clothes allow your skin to breathe and help in skin rashes or
irritation.
Along with these,
keeping showers for a shorter time, using warm water for bathing, air
humidifiers also help the skin in cold and windy weather.
Change your skincare products to high moisturizing and hydrating products like Hyaluronic
acid and retinol for plumped and smooth skin. Retinol must be followed with
a good sunscreen to increase the cells turnover, oil flow regulation, and to
improve the pigmentation appearance.
Take extra care of your chapped lips with a moistening lip balm and of
your under-eye.
Here are some don’ts to consider in
winters:
·
Don’t
over-wash your face as it can further dehydrate your skin.
·
Don’t
use harsh and chemical-triggered products on your skin like soaps, lotions,
body wash.
·
Avoid
long hot showers as they can remove essential oils from the skin.
·
In
winter, skin is more subjected to skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis
hence avoiding allergens or irritants is favourable for skin’s health.
Winter skin is no different, it just requires some extra
care and attention. Remember to include all the do’s and avoid all the don’ts
for hydrated and healthier winter skin. Use some good skin serums and essential
oil to retain the moisture in the skin to make it appear smoother and even
texture.
If you observe some severe skin conditions in winter or
dryness reaches a peak, reach out to your dermatologist as soon as possible.
You can connect with our experienced dermatologist on this toll-free number
1800-1200-70000 for any skin or hair related issues and concerns.