Keep hydrated. We all know we have to drink lots of water during the summer months, but it is equally important to drink during winter when we spend hours inside heated buildings. Properly hydrated skin retains its elasticity which prevents lines and wrinkles, chapped, scaly, or flaky skin
Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. And if possible increase its effectiveness by moisturising right after drying off from your shower or bath while your skin pores are still open. If you are prone to spots but find that in Winter months your skin becomes a little drier, don’t be tempted to use products designed for dry skin, make sure you know what your skin needs.
Leave a dish of water near your radiators to act as a natural humidifier. Central heating sucks moisture out from the air, and out of your skin. Adding a few drops of aromatherapy oil will produce a lovely fragrance for your room.
The sun may be weaker in winter months, but it is still there. Keep using an SPF if you are going to be outdoors at all, or find a foundation or tinted moisturiser which comes with an SPF to protect against UVA – it needs to be above 15 SPF, but SPF 30 is recommended.
Using a scrub or exfoliate on the face can be helpful to remove dry skin. Invest in AHA products such as glycolic acid or lactic acid to exfoliate your skin. AHAs exfoliate by dissolving the dead skin cells another great way to freshen your skin.
It’s natural to enjoy a hot bath or shower when the weather outside is cold and grey, but hot water dries out the skin. Instead, have a warm shower or bath and limit them to 5 to 10 minutes long and warm up quickly by drying or wrapping yourself in a warm towel or bathrobe. If you have persistent dry skin, make sure you are not using harsh soaps and remember to apply your ceramides after drying.
A homemade remedy for dry skin is adding a cupful or oats to your bath to sooth the skin. It can be a bit messy to clean up, though, so you could put the oats in a muslin bag, or in the foot of an old pair of tights.
A healthy, nutritional diet teamed with regular exercise is good for your skin. Exercise boosts blood circulation while the nutrients in a healthy diet will benefit your skin the long term. Now is a good time to start cutting out the added sugar in your diets as well as alcohol – white wine really dries you from top down.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just keep covered up for the winter and do a massive repair session in the spring. Treat yourself to some products and spend the occasional winter’s evening exfoliating and moisturising your feet and legs or a chemical peel.
More winter skin care advice can be found at The Garrett Clinic.
About the Author / Gareth Hargreaves
Gareth looks after all editorial content on 50connect. He is the Swiss Army knife of content ideas and production.
