Winter weather affects a lot of my day to day routines, including my skincare routine. Generally my skin is pretty normal–I get a little oily through my T-zone from time to time, but I usually don’t have problematic skin of any kind. However, in West Virginia, the winter months get cold. And during these months, I tend to get a little drier, less hydrated, and I sporadically develop small dry patches–on my cheeks and eyelids–that require extra attention.
I wanted to quickly address a few changes that happen in my skincare routine to combat the cold temperatures, and maybe they’ll help you a little, too.
Stay hydrated.
I’m guilty of not drinking enough water throughout the day, and that’s something I need to work on. But it really is an easy to way to take care of your skin. Drinking enough water gives hydration back to you skin so it looks brighter, plumper, and healthier overall.
If you have ways that may help us drink mor
e water, let us know in the comments (really, I need help).
Exfoliate more.
I feel I exfoliate my skin a normal amount through the rest of the year–about once or twice per week–but during the winter, I’m a two times a weeker. Where my skin is a littler drier and less hydrated, I get little flakes of skin, especially on my nose, that you can notice under makeup, that I don’t like. Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells from your skin and uncovers a smoother and brighter skin surface.
I don’t like an overly harsh exfoliate–I stay far, far away from a lot of physical exfoliating products, like the St. Ives apricot scrub. I find a lot of these products leave my skin more irritated. So I have a few masks and exfoliating products I do like, which are listed below.
I love masks like the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask and the Dior Glow Better jelly mask for exfoliation as well.
Apply heavier oils.
I’m a skin oil junkie. I love them year round, but in the winter, I use a few that are just a little more hydrating. Facial oils are a great addition to your skincare routine because they’re jam packed with nutrients like vitamin C, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids that are extremely good for your skin. Adding one to the end of your routine, will help create a protective layer over your other products and help them penetrate more deeply into your skin .
All skin types can appreciate a facial oil, yes even you oily folk. It’s just about finding the right one. If you’d like me to touch more on this later, let me know.
Treat myself to more deep-hydration masks.
I love masks; they’re a little treat I get to enjoy a few times a week. Don’t assume that you can use a makeup wipe a few times a week as your entire skincare routine and add a mask in a few times a week and have amazing results. I think they’re a nice addition to an already effective skincare routine, but they definitely are an added treat your skin will thank you for.
In the winter, I tend to use heavier masks or something that is resurfacing, and I use them more often.
Gentle cleansing
I’m not super strict with my cleansers; I’ll use whatever I have handy, though I do have some favorites. In the winter, however, I try to stay away from foaming cleansers and anything that may strip my skin of moisture. I love the First Aid Beauty cleanser or the Fresh Soy cleanser. They are just so gentle and effective.
Use lukewarm water instead of hot.
We all love to use hot, hot water on our skin, because it feels good. This is such a hard habit to break, but in the winter I definitely challenge myself. The hotter the water, the more it’s going to dry out your skin. So I do try, especially when washing my face and hair, to use a lukewarm water rather than hot.
Moisturizing makeup removal
Before applying any kind of mask or oil, I will remove my makeup at night. I love the Pond’s Cold Cream for removing makeup. It’s a really thick, lotion consistency. It removes my makeup, and leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized. I almost always go in after with a gentle cleanser after, because I do like to double cleanse.
If you don’t want to add another product into your skincare routine, the FAB cleanser works amazingly at removing makeup as does the Philosophy Purity.
I hope this helped a little, and that you can incorporate one or multiple of these habits to your winter skincare routine. Do you do anything differently in your skincare routine in the winter from the rest of the year?
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