Winter is here! These cold months can leave our skin dry and sensitive, but don’t fret we are here to help keep your skin soft and hydrated during these harsh weather conditions.
There are many reasons that can contribute to why our skin gets dry in the winter. Low humidity in the air, central heat from warming our cars or houses, temperatures fluctuating, hot water and for some of us it is our skin type. As we can’t control the temperature changes outside one thing we can control are the products we use on our skin!
Here are the dos and don’ts for your winter skin regimen:
1. Using the right cleanser for your skin type! Keep it simple.
When cleansing your skin you don’t want to feel tight or irritated. Using the wrong cleanser can affect the PH levels of the skin barrier and leave you feeling dry, tight or red. We want to use a cleanser that is gentle to keep our skin barrier intact. You want to avoid soap-based cleansers containing alcohols. Fatty alcohols like steryl or cetearyl however can be beneficial.
2. Exfoliate!
When choosing an exfoliator or scrub we are looking for something gentle enough that won’t over strip our skin but gently resurface. Exfoliating the skin aids in the removal of dead skin build up and debris. Gently resurfacing the skin allows new skin cells to reach the surface and give you a beautiful glow! Exfoliating once or twice a week can help with the dry flaky skin some of us experience during the winter.
3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Anytime you cleanse or exfoliate the skin you want to make sure you are equally moisturizing. For those who are oily, it is still important to add the appropriate moisturizer to your skin regimen. To avoid skin irritations a fragrance free moisturizer is recommended. When choosing a moisturizer look for key ingredients such as Vitamin E as it soothes and hydrates the skin.
4. Hyaluronic acid serums
Talk about mega moisture! Hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in our bodies and helps hold water retention in your skin. As we age our skin doesn’t maintain moisture as well as it used to, this is one of the reasons adding it into your regimen is crucial. Hyaluronic acid helps strengthen your skins protective barrier, when your skin is dry it is more vulnerable to damage or infecting. Adding a hyaluronic serum will help soften and plump your skin!
5. SPF
Apply an SPF every day, 365 days a year. As we know the sun can be very damaging to our skin, even though the sun isn’t always shining or there is an overcast you shouldn’t skip out on sun protection!
