Winter Skin Care - Time to Revive Your Skin Care Kit
Winter’s arrival indicates a switch from shorts and loose tees to warm jackets and scarves. But winter has an equally harsh impact on the skin. The colder months dry the skin quickly, so you need a specific winter skin care routine for dry skin. Simply switching to cold creams is not the answer here. We must upgrade our skin care game by adding special winter skin products to our daily routine to keep the skin happy and healthy.
While summers make our skin oily due to excess lipid production, winters dry the skin. Our skin usually takes moisture from the air around us and retains it. Frosty weather lowers the humidity levels causing dry skin and other skin issues. Low humidity reduces the natural oils in the skin causing tightness, flakiness, chapped lips, and itchiness. The harsh weather conditions also increase inflammation, leading to other severe skin conditions like Eczema and Psoriasis. Adapting our skin care routine to seasonal changes can keep the skin fresh and glowing all year round.
How to Take Care of Skin in Winter
Our skin needs change seasonally depending on our skin type. Staying hydrated is essential in winter, no matter the skin type. For normal skin, lighter lotions and hydrating gels are often enough to keep it balanced and healthy. However, for dry skin types, winters require extra nourishment with heavy moisturizers and skin-rejuvenating ingredients. Keeping combination skin hydrated is trickier. Focus on hydrating the dry areas while managing the T-zone’s oil production. For oily skin, hydration is essential to balance natural oil production. Hydrate oily skin with lightweight, water-based cleansers and moisturizers. If you notice your skin is feeling dry and rough lately, it’s time to revive your daily routine with some winter skin care products.
Winter Season Skin Care Routine
Cleanser
For winter, you need mild cleansers that can replenish the skin's moisture while removing dirt, dead skin, and impurities. When selecting a winter face wash for dry skin, look for humectants like glycerine, vitamin E, vitamin B, propylene glycol, squalene, etc. These humectants can provide moisture to the lower levels and keep your skin cells hydrated. Instead of foaming cleansers or gels, opt for cleansing balms, creams, or oils. Remember to use lukewarm water on the face as it is best for the skin in winter.
Toner
Wondering why there’s a toner on this list? Well, toners are equally important in winter. They penetrate deep into the pores to remove leftover dirt or impurities, unclog pores, tighten skin, strengthen the skin barrier, and moisturize. However, different skin types may require different toners. Products with alcohol and similar elements can dry the skin so avoid them. Instead, go for toners enriched with glycerin, rosewater, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, ceramides, etc. Oily skin toners should have elements like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, niacinamide, AHAs, green tea, etc.
Exfoliator
Regular exfoliation is one of those winter skin tips you often overlook but shouldn’t. Exfoliators scrub off dead cells, impurities, and buildup from the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. Exfoliating once a week is a must in winter. However, you should consider a scrub with nourishing ingredients like PHA, citric acid, azelaic acid, bakuchiol, niacinamide, vitamins C & E, etc. Look for natural exfoliators for sensitive areas like the face and lips. A good lip scrub with walnuts can gently cleanse without being harsh or tearing the skin. Natural ingredients like almonds, honey, grape seed, sea buckthorn, and walnut grit are great exfoliators.
Face Serum
Face serums are often used for targeted skin treatments. For example, you can add a serum to your routine to reduce pigmentation, brighten the skin tone, etc. However, adding this step to your winter skin care routine for dry skin can make a big difference. Serums contain nutrients that penetrate into the skin’s deepest layers to provide nourishment. For winter skin care routine, go for hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, AHAs, etc. You can also go for serums with emollients like squalene that sustain moisture and increase skin elasticity.
Moisturizer
While summers call for lighter products, winter skin routine requires heavier products that nourish deeply and keep the skin hydrated. Body creams and lip balms are a must in this season. Oily skin needs anti-inflammatory products with hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, vitamin C, and antioxidants that soothe the skin. Dry skin types need intensely nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil, argan oil, petrolatum, etc. One of the most popular winter skin care ingredients is Tamanu, also called Green Gold. It has many benefits like cell repair and regeneration, soothing skin, reducing pigmentation, and preserving moisture. You can use a good Tamanu balm or oil for moisturization, especially for dry skin. You can also check for ceramides and antioxidants in your winter skin products.
Sunscreen
Just like toners, most people consider sunscreens as summer products. But the sun's rays affect our skin just as much in winter as in summer. Skin care for winter dry skin is incomplete without the final touch of sunscreen. You can use a lighter SPF like 30 or 35 for winter sun protection. If you’re already using sunscreen and it’s not drying your skin, you can continue with it in winter too. For oily and normal skin types, lightweight gel-based formulas can calm acne-prone skin. But for dry skin, consider switching to thick moisturizing formulas that provide sun protection along with rich hydration.
Winter Skin Tips
Hydration is the cornerstone of winter skin care. Lock in moisture with emollient creams, oils, etc. The most important thing here is to listen to your skin and adapt your routine accordingly. Know your skin type and what products would suit you best. Exfoliate regularly to slough off dead skin and impurities. And don’t forget sunscreen for protection from UV rays. Remember, a little extra care can go a long way.
Conclusion
A good winter skin care routine for dry skin focuses on hydration and replenishment while addressing specific skin issues. Don't let the harsh winter weather dry out your precious skin. Protect and nourish it with specialized winter skincare products by trusted brands like Kamree. With a small change to your skin care routine, you can reap the benefits of having healthy, glowing skin all season.