We should adjust our Winter skincare beauty routine as we adjust what we wear for the different seasons.
Less sunlight, less exercise, diets heavier in carb-rich comfort foods and bodies clad in thick layers all compound our winter skincare woes. BUT… if you make the most of more enforced time indoors to pamper yourself, your skin can not only stay glowing in winter but also be easier to get into shape for spring and summer.
By understanding how winter affects our skin, we can offset its negatives and choose the right ingredients and products to nourish and protect our face, body and hair keeping them in healthy condition; and, as a result, make us feel good about ourselves in winter too.
WHY DO WE NEED TO CHANGE UP OUR WINTER SKINCARE ROUTINE?
You need to change your skincare to suit the seasons just as you change your wardrobe with the changes in weather
In winter, our skin is exposed to low temperatures and harsh winds that suck moisture from the epidermis. The result is our skin can feel dry and irritated. Hands and lips can suffer from periodic rawness and painful chapping. They need help from external moisturizing and occlusive, barrier skincare products such as lip balms for lips and heavier hand creams in order to prevent further dryness.
8 EASY WINTER SKINCARE TIPS
- USE NOURISHING MASKS FOR WINTER RADIANCE
In winter, our facial skin can seem dull and pasty due partly from our capillaries restricting with the cold. An outdoor activity can put colour back in our cheeks temporarily but soon our faces will again appear pale.
One of the best ways to both cleanse and bring radiance to your face is by using a specially formulated mask.
We have nourishing and cleansing clay mask products that are ideal as a winter facial. We recommend you pamper yourself once-a-week with a clay mask ritual.
- USE A NATURAL AND GENTLE CLEANSER IN WINTER
Swap any harsher, oil-stripping cleansers and toners for a gentler cream-based product. This is to minimize stripping the skin of its lipids that are so needed for winter weather.
- WASH WITH LUKEWARM WATER
When your hands are exposed to harsh weather, they are drier and more prone to chapping. They can become raw and sore. Wash your face and hands in lukewarm water to avoid stripping them of their lipids and moisturize them immediately afterwards.
Cooler water, at the start and end of a shower, can help increase overall circulation by stimulating the blood flow in the skin’s capillaries.
- YOUR LIPS NEED EXTRA ATTENTION
If you wear lipstick regularly, your lips theoretically should be protected… or so you think!! However, do you know what ingredients are in your lipstick? Some Lipsticks are made with petrolatum, mineral oils, waxes and various oils such as coconut, jojoba and castor. Petrolatum acts as an occlusive, barrier layer to reduce moisture loss from the skin but has no benefit as a nourishing lip care ingredient.
Lip Balms (Chap Sticks) are great products to help keep your lips nourished during Winter. Read the ingredient list on our Lip Balms and look for natural oils, waxes, extracts from fruits and berries and botanicals. These ingredients all have beneficial, nourishing properties.
Lips in winter can get dry and form stringy bits of loose skin that looks and feels rough. A lip scrub to buff your lips gently as well as moisturize will give you a smooth base on which to apply that natural favourite lipstick of yours.
- USE HYDRATING FACIAL SERUMS AND MOISTURIZERS
Apply nourishing serums under your moisturizer to help protect your skin so your skin looks. Apply richer day and night creams for deep nourishment and to act as a barrier to help minimize the skin’s water loss.
- DRY INDOOR AIR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
Hot and dry interiors in winter months are no friend to your skin. A certain amount of moisture in the air will help your skin retain its moisture.
Purchase a portable room humidifier that provides a cool, fine, invisible mist. Monitor the air and adjust output to create optimal levels of humidity. These are ideal in bedrooms or other rooms you spend a lot of time in and are reasonably priced. Your skin will thank you!
- DON’T FORGET YOUR FEET
Your feet should not be forgotten in your beauty routine. If not given regular maintenance through exfoliation and a moisturizing Foot Balm, they can develop callouses and hard, dry skin which can be painful. Making time for your feet can be a welcomed self-care ritual.
- REMEMBER YOUR BODY CARE
In Winter our bathroom may feel chilly and it may be tempting to speed up showering or bathing and not spend time on some needed areas. Our feet, shins and elbows tend to dry out during winter. As spring approaches, and we expose more of our skin, we may regret not exfoliating, body brushing and moisturising our bodies more often during those dry winter months.
Scrubs can be great exfoliators for removing dry, flaky skin. They can stimulate circulation (with the right ingredients) and leave your skin feeling silky smooth.