We’ve got some tips on how to change your beauty routine this winter. Image by Adobe Stock.
Winter is well and truly here and I’m not mad about it. Layering up with winter fashion, fluffy socks, hot coffees warming your hands and couch chilling under the heat pump are some of my favourite wintertime things. One of my least favourite things about winter is dry skin. And unless you’re some ultra-hydrated goddess, dry skin during winter is inescapable. But, fear not because with a few tweaks to our beauty routine, there are some things we can do to give our skin a little helping hand during these cold months, so we can focus more on what’s to love about winter and less on chapped lips and dry hands.
Avoid long, hot showers or baths
If you’re anything like me, taking a long, hot, steamy shower is one of the luxurious I allow myself during winter. But, in fact, taking long, hot showers or baths can actually be detrimental to your skin. When we spend long periods of time in cold weather then hop into a hot shower, the prolonged water contact can actually leach out moisture from the skin, leaving it prone to becoming dry and irritated.
Use a humidifier
Humidity – the word comes with a negative connotation, especially during summer, but in winter, humidity is your friend. Cold temperatures mixed with indoor heating cause low-humidity which can also dry your skin out. So you might want to consider investing in a humidifier during those freezing cold months where your heat pump will be getting a workout.
Use a heavy-duty moisturiser
Everyone knows that the winter elements tend to dry your skin out, so investing in a heavy-duty, hydrating moisturiser is an absolute must. Anything with Vitamin C will be good for repairing and strengthening skin cells. You can also invest in an exfoliator to use 2 – 3 times a week to help slough off any dead skin cell build-up. Anything with Glycolic, Lactic or Salicylic acids are going to be great to help stimulate healthy skin turn over. Here is a roundup of some of our favourite moisturisers for winter.
Don’t forget your SPF
Here is one of the best bits of beauty advice I have ever been given – wear sunscreen every day, all year round, even if you are indoors. Wearing SPF is going to be your best preventative method of looking after your skin from UVA and UVB damage. UVA penetrates the deepest layers of our skin, leaving harmful damage behind and UVA can also penetrate clouds and glass, which means you can still be prone to harmful UVA damage on bad weather days and even indoors. You can find out more about how to protect your skin from damage here.
Stay hydrated
This one seems like a no-brainer but staying hydrated is actually harder than it sounds. How many times have you gone to bed and realised you’ve only had one or two glasses of water during the day? When we are busy, we tend to forget to hydrate, which in turn, dries our skin out. Studies have shown that drinking between 2 – 3 litres of water a day will keep us hydrated and helps our body run smoothly, and one of the easiest ways to remember is to buy a special drink bottle, preferably one with a measurement on the side so you can carry it around with you and sip intermittently during the day.
Care for your lips
Our final tip is to give your lips some TLC during winter. Our lips, like our skin, are very prone to drying out. In fact, the skin on our lips is among the most sensitive areas of our body and the most exposed to the environment. There are many causes of chapped lips, but the weather is usually the main culprit. So to prevent and care for dried out lips you can make sure they are hydrated with a nourishing lip balm, gently exfoliate them when they are dry and use an SPF to prevent sun damage. To find out more about how to care for your lips during winter, we put together a few handy tips here.