Like my family and friends you might be tired of me saying “I love winters!”. While I love everything about winters from dressing up to food or going out in the crisp windy weather. See my post about winter essentials. There’s one thing I like to be extra cautious about and that’s avoiding dry, dehydrated skin in winters. I’ve had my share of experience with flaky and irritated skin that sometimes reaches to the extent of hurting when I smile. Over the years I have been on the hunt for expert advice and tried different approaches. Well I seem to have found the secret to avoid dry skin in winters!
Why do you have dry skin in winters?
Cold dry wind, low humidity levels and harsh weather strips your skin off moisture. The outermost layer of our skin acts as the barrier against these elements and when this barrier is damaged, we experience dry or irritated skin. We can either prevent the skin before it is damaged or treat it once the damage is done. These are the 5 steps I swear by to make sure my skin does not look like the back of a crocodile during winters.
1. Drink enough water / fluids
This is first and foremost. I notice that during winters, we don’t drink as much water as we do in summers for obvious reasons. Drinking enough water will take care of almost half your reasons for dry and dehydrated skin in winters. When I wake up I drink at least 1 litre of water the first thing in the morning. It was difficult when I just started, however I became used to it in no time. Throughout the day also I keep reminding myself to drink enough water to make sure I drink anywhere between 3-4 litres in a day. I noticed a huge difference with no dry lips and dry skin.
2. Reduce or at the least don’t increase caffeine intake
During winters I like to drink warm drinks and tend to consume a lot of tea and coffee. Caffeine causes dehydration and makes your skin appear dry. Since I noticed this, I try to limit it to 2 cups and if I still feel like drinking something warm, I go for other options like hot chocolate or other caffeine free tea options like Camomile tea, green tea etc. This way I’m having enough fluids that are hydrating.
3. Have a good skin care Regimen
A good skin care routine is essential for a healthy and nourished skin. Although, timely cleansing and moisturising are the key steps, there are a few extra steps I follow from time to time that help me avoid dry skin in winters. Here’s the skin care routine that works for me in the harsh colder months.
Double cleanse
I love my skin since I started double cleansing. What is double cleansing? – Basically, using a type of oil cleanser first to take off the layer of dirt or make-up you have. Oil helps dissolve any make-up or other grime on your face and emulsifies it. This makes it easier to take it off. After this step you can use another gentle cleanser for a completely squeaky clean skin without ripping it off your essential oils. Some of the cleansers I like are –
- Kiehl’s Midnight recovery botanical cleansing oil – Make up remover
- Clinique Take the Day off Cleaning Balm
- Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
- Bioderma Sebium foaming cleaning gel
Exfoliate
We usually have dry skin built up that causes the skin to appear uneven and textured. Like we scrub our body on a regular basis, it’s important to scrub your face as well. However it’s important to know the right scrubs to use. There are two types of exfoliators available, physical and chemical. Physical exfoliators will have granules that helps you polish your skin. Chemical exfoliators, like the name says a set of chemicals that work on your skin and dissolve the dry layer. Both are good for your skin as long as you use a gentle combination. One of the combination exfoliator I use is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. It has very fine rice granules and AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). Even though the package says its for daily use, I use it only once a week or less. Here are a few exfoliators I’ve liked over the years –
Hydrate and moisturise
This is one of the most important steps in skin care routine. It’s important that after cleansing and exfoliating you provide your skin with enough hydration. This can be a combination of serums and moisturisers. Depending on your skin and how dry the weather is, you can go for a light or intensive moisturiser. In the day time, for a light layer of moisture I prefer it to be light and with fewer ingredients as possible.
Like any other organ or muscle in your body, it is night time when the recovery happens. Needless to say how important a good night sleep is. Therefore, at night I like to use a more intensive moisturiser. It helps to balance moisture in the skin and prepare for the next day. I also like to add a serum depending on what my skin feels like that day. These are a few moisturisers and serums I love –
- Day Moisturisers
- Dermalogica Skin smoothing cream
- You can also go for the intensive version of the same cream for more hydration.
- Kiehl’s Ultra facial cream
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane sensitive rich moisture
- Night Moisturisers
- Serums and face oils
Mask
This is the step that I look forward to the most in my skin care routine. Depending on the day and how my skin feels I use hydrating, exfoliating, clarifying or a calming mask. For example, the day I use an exfoliating cleanser, I like to put on a calming or hydrating overnight mask. The next day my skin is baby soft. Masks are a great way to relax and as a step of self-care and winding down. It’s also a very effective way to get ready for a special occasion. When I have an event and my skin needs some extra attention, I will do a combination of exfoliating and hydrating or radiance mask. Like Peter Thomas Roth Enzyme mask and Charlotte Tilbury Instant magic Facial dry sheet mask. My skin guaranteed soft and glowy. Here are few masks I’ve loved over the years –
- Kiehl’s Turmeric and Cranberry seed energizing radiance mask
- Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask
- Fresh Umbrian clay Pore – Purifying face mask
- Fresh Rose face mask
- Farmacy Honey potion plus ceramide hydration mask
- Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial dry sheet mask
Wear a Sunscreen
This is a lesson I learned pretty late in life. Now, I don’t skip sunscreen ever. Even on those dark cloudy days. I make sure I have a decent layer of sunscreen on before I apply any makeup.
4. Be mindful of hygiene
One reason in winters the skin is irritated or braking out is because of scarves and high neck knitwear that might not be completely clean. It’s important to keep in mind that we keep any fabric and our hands that are touching our face is clean at all times. There can be some fabric that you are allergic to and that can cause irritation. My skin is quiet sensitive, so I tend to stay away from synthetic fabrics and metals that are not non-comedogenic for jewellery.
5. Get enough sleep
Lastly, make sure to get enough sleep winters or no winters. Even if I do all the above steps and haven’t had enough sleep. My skin shows it all.
That’s it. This is my short list of 5 steps to make sure I avoid dry skin in winters. Follow these steps and you will have relaxed, nourished and baby soft skin in any weather. Now, no need to be scared on those cold windy days, go ahead and paint the town red. 🙂
