5 Best Winter Skincare Tips

For those of us that live in a climate where the temperature drops and the snow flies, your hair and skin can get relatively dry, flaky, itchy, and just downright uncomfortable. No matter the age, these tips will have your skin feeling and looking its best.

Hydrate

Drink lots of water and tea. Since the temperature is cooler, you may not feel thirsty and forget to hydrate. Create a hydration schedule to keep you on track during those colder months.

Enjoy those warm beverages; they can help with digestion and blood flow. Eat hydrating snacks like cucumbers, melons, celery, and tomatoes. Try to limit your consumption of caffeinated beverages, as they can dehydrate you.

Moisturize

Find a good quality moisturizer to apply every day. Slather it on from head to toe being sure not to miss anywhere. When the winds blow, even if you are covered, it can seep through your clothing and cause wind burn. Windburn will dry out your skin by stripping it of natural oils. Once those natural oils are stripped away, you are prone to sunburn since that outer layer is not there anymore.

You should use separate moisturizers for your body, hands, and face, as the skin on each area of your body is different. Your hands may require a thicker product to help heal and protect from those cold temperatures. Your hands can crack and split from those harsh temperatures and winds. This can leave you susceptible to infections and colds because of the opening on your skin that can let in germs.

My body responds well to a thinner moisturizer that absorbs in quickly. If you like thick creams, then use what you like the best. Your face is exposed to those elements and requires some deeply penetrating moisturizers to keep your skin looking and feeling fresh.

The cold, dry air can also wreak havoc on your locks. Treat your hair to deep conditioning treatments during those winter months. The deep conditioning will add moisture to the hair, helping repair damage, prevent breakage, and soothe frizz. It will also soothe that dry, itchy scalp.

Humidifier

Run a humidifier in your living, sleeping, and workspaces. You can get ones that directly hook up to your furnace. It adds moisture back into the air, helping your space feel warmer, alleviating cold symptoms, and helping dry cracked skin and dry sinuses/bloody noses. If this is something that is not within your budget or space, you can find several different size humidifiers to place somewhere in your space to add that moisture back in.

From large to small rooms and mini personal ones. The prices range from $20 to $100+. You can even add that moisture for nothing. Simply put a pot of water on the stove, bringing it to light steam to add moisture back into the air. Since we have hydronic heat, I have several different humidifiers in my home. Our main living space has a large one, while our bedrooms have smaller ones, and my office space has a personal size one that can have essential oils added to it.

Exfoliate

During the colder months, we are more prone to dry skin. Exfoliating removes those dead, dry skin cells and cleans your pores revealing smoother skin that allows for better penetration of moisturizers. The exfoliation process is simple to do.

Simply purchase an exfoliation glove or make your own body scrub. Free printable recipe here. Gentle scrub your body with the scrub in the tub or shower and rinse thoroughly. You will feel great after.

Don't forget to exfoliate your face. I exfoliate once a week because that is what my skin likes the best. You can do it every other week if you have somewhat sensitive skin that doesn't enjoy that much exfoliation.

Your scalp can benefit from some exfoliation as well. Between exposure build-up to the elements or being stuck in a hat, you can get a build-up of dead skin. All that build-up can cause itch, irritation, and clogged hair follicles.

Protect

Protect your skin to ensure your outer layer is not damaged, causing further problems. The three ways you can protect your skin are sunscreen, cover skin, and thick moisturizers for exposed skin, such as chapstick/Aquaphor.

During the colder months, you can still get sunburn, so wearing sunscreen daily is essential to keeping your skin looking and feeling its best. The sun's reflection off the snow or ice is equivalent to being on the water in the summer. That reflection can be up to 80%, meaning you are getting hit from both angles.

Cover as much of your skin as you possibly can. This also goes for your face; even a light scarf covering your face can minimize damage from the elements. Wearing appropriate coverings can also prevent frostbite. Sometimes when the sun is shining, we can feel as though we can take some layers off and expose that skin, but we should be careful for how long. Prolonged exposure to the elements can cause frostbite before you know it. No one wants to get frostbite and severely damage parts of their skin.

My sister got frostbite on one of her ears when she was younger. Her ear swelled up to twice its size, and parts of it turned black. We were all worried she was going to lose her ear. Thankfully it healed, and she has no scarring, but she has stated that if it is not covered during winter, she can feel it burning from the cold as the nerves were damaged from the original frostbite.

A thick moisturizer on your face, lips, and other exposed skin can help keep it hydrated by adding that extra layer. That extra layer is like another barrier the elements must try to break through to get to your skin. I put a decent layer of Aquaphor on when we go sledding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, or any other outdoor activities. This step ensures that my skin is protected from those UV rays and wind minimizing my chances of developing skin cancer.

Conclusion

Implementing these 5 tips into your skincare routine will have your skin looking and feeling its best during those colder months. Hydrated skin looks youthful, plump, and healthy. Protecting your skin from the elements reduces your risk of cancer. Exfoliating off the dead cells ensures deeper penetration of your moisturizers to keep that skin hydrated.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving; talk to you next week!

~Tina