Winter is here... Is your skin ready?
It is officially the first day of winter. If you didn’t know, the skincare routine you use during the summer is not always what you skin needs in the winter. Winter weather calls for dry and cracked dermis due to the cold air, winds, and lack of humidity. Along with that, we typically use inside heaters and take hot showers that strip our skin from any further moisture it has. But do not worry, I will share all the do’s and don’ts you should be following this winter 2020 to ensure your skin stays clear, radiant, and smooth.
Your skin suffers in the winter. Even those with oily skin, struggle to retain moisture in the winter to keep it hydrated and clear. Do not be afraid to use hydrating lotions and moisturizers on a daily basis. Although we typically associate breakouts to an excess of oil on our skin, breakouts can also be caused by dry skin. Most often acne is caused by clogged pores that are trapped with an excess amount of dirt, oil, and/or bacteria that results in the form of blemishes. However, when your skin is dry, that may mean your skin barrier is damaged. This damage weakens your skin barrier and inhibits its ability to protect exterior factors from entering your skin and causing breakouts. More so, a weakened skin barrier prevents your skin from being able to retain moisture. Any moisture that is applied to your skin helps build up your skin barrier until it is able to fully retain it itself.
Do's
DO Use Cream Based Skin Products
Switch your lotion-based moisturizers and gel/foam/bar-based cleansers to cream-based skin product options. Even though lotion-based moisturizers are hydrating, cream-based moisturizers are usually made with half water and half oil, which is substantially more than lotion-based ones. Furthermore, as for cleanser products, some may strip your skin of its natural oil.
Although that would be helpful in the summer or other seasons, when you sweat more and the air is more humid, in colder weather you need products that are hydrating your skin to replenish moisture.
DO Use Hydrating Skin Products
Body wash, body scrub, lotions? Opt for a hydrating option. Read the ingredients of your skincare products, if the first listed ingredient is “water” then it is a water-based product. As previously mentioned, cream products will provide your skin with more hydration.
If you do not want to switch all of your skincare products, then try adding a couple drops of your preferred oil into your bottle for extra hydration. Our Amire team members like to add a few drops of our Moringa or Argan Oil into our favorite shampoos, conditioners, and lotions (although drop amounts vary on how your hair/skin porosity).
DO Exfoliate (weekly)
Exfoliating in the winter is extremely important. The cold weather makes your skin dehydrated and may cause flaking. Exfoliating will help slough dead skin away, making room for new skin cells. This also helps moisturizers penetrate deeper into your skin, without the layer of dead skin cells sitting on top of your skin. However, exfoliating too often can dry out or damage your skin. We suggest only exfoliating once a week (or up to three if your skin can handle it). If you are exfoliating, make sure to pick one that has dual properties that also help hydrate your skin.
DO Use Serums
f you don’t have a serum in your skin routine already, you need to add one (especially during these winter months)! Serums nourish your skin helping hydrate and brighten it. Adding another step of hydration will help prevent your skin from experiencing the dry, flaky skin that so many people have this season.
DO Use a Humidifier
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, the air during cold winter months holds less humidity. Thus, cold air contains less moisture and carries less than warmer air does. Indoors, the cold weather forces us to use heaters to keep warm, ridding our house of further moisture. In turn, the low humidity levels outside and indoors draws any moisture from the top layers of our skin. When your skin becomes dehydrated, we may experience symptoms of tightness, itchiness, cracked or flaky skin.
In order to prevent dry skin this winter, use a humidifier in your home. Humidifiers add humidity back into your home, resulting in added moisture back into your skin. You may also want to limit prolonged exposure to heaters.
Don'ts
DON’T Take Long Showers
As much as we love them, do not take long showers. So many external factors are already drying out your skin the hot temperature from the water is stripping your skin of its natural oils and moisture. If you take long showers, you are simply allowing more oil and moisture to leave your skin. Instead of taking long, hot showers, use lukewarm water and try to limit your showers to 10-15 minutes.
DON’T Rub Face Dry
Rubbing your face, or skin after you shower or wash your face is widely a common mistake many people make. You only want to remove the excess water on top of your skin, which is why you should pat it. Rubbing your skin, especially if you are already experiencing symptoms of dehydrated skin, can cause friction that further irritates and dries out your skin. You are not only stripping it of the water, but also your natural oils, and potentially your healthy, protective skin layer. This is why you should always gently pat your skin dry.
DON’T Skip Sunscreen
Skip the foundation and trade it in for a tinted moisturizer that has SPF. Heavy makeup can clog your pores or further dry out your skin. A
tinted moisturizer is light and will help bring further hydration to your skin. Otherwise, just opt into using a sunscreen in your daily skin
routine. If this is news, sunscreen is not a seasonal skincare item that comes and goes. You should be applying sunscreen all year around,
whether it is sunny or cloudy, hot or cold.