Skin Care Tips to Follow This Winter

The Rising Panjab Bureau

Is it necessary to have a skin care routine as per the seasons? Do you really need to change your skincare routine during the winter season? Cold, dry air leaves your skin itchy, red and irritated during the cold winter season. Winters can wreck havoc on your skin and leave it moisture less. As the weather turns colder, your usual skin-care habits may need some adjustments. Cold air outside during the winter leaves your skin red and raw, while the indoor heat rips moisture from your skin. Sitting by the fire can seem cozy on winter nights but it can dry your skin. According to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, hot water shower can warm you up, but rips your skin of its natural oils. And once dryness starts skin can crack easily and bleed.

Tips for healthy winter skin

Caring for skin during the winters takes a little bit of extra effort and time. Since the conditions are extreme during winters, skin gets exposed to harsh elements. The following tips will help you maintain the pH level of the skin leaving it healthy and shiny. 

Keeping a good moisturize handy is a good idea to keep dryness at bay. It is recommended to avoid long baths and showers and you shouldn’t wash your body too frequently either. Bar soaps can worsen dryness so doctors recommend using body wash. Body wash contains fewer dry ingredients and more moisturizing ones like hyaluronic acid, oils, shea butter and oats. After bath don’t forget to apply a good moisturizer on your skin. It is very tempting to go for long hot showers during the winter when the temperature is dipping. But if you love your skin, avoiding them is the best option. Hot showers dry out your skin quickly, and if you don’t moisturize it immediately, your skin can develop cracks and winter eczema.

Adding moisture to your house counter attacks the drying effects of indoor heat. Therefore running a humidifier in the home is a good idea. Humidifiers leave moisture in the air which is absorbed by the skin.

Just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean the sun isn’t affecting your skin. The rays reflected by the sun are more harmful for your body during the winter season. The sun rays which reflect off the snow means that UV rays are hitting you from additional angles making the skin’s condition worst. You need to protect your skin from the cold wind or snow or rain if you are stepping out in winter. The warm sunrays may feel warm but the UV rays can damage the skin. So doctors suggest that one must always apply sunscreen.  

Switching to oil based creams and lotions is a good idea during the winters. Consider overnight deep moisturizer treatments that will help particularly dry areas like hands, feet, elbows, knees and lips. You should try to cover with cotton gloves or socks to lock in the moisture throughout the night. Choosing skin care products wisely can keep your skin healthy and happy. That is why you need to change your skin care products accordingly. The key to healthy and glowing winter skin is using mild skin care products. Avoid masks and peels, astringent lotions which contain alcohol as they make your skin dry during the winter. Do not exfoliate your skin a lot in the winters as exfoliating the skin helps in getting rid of dead cells. During the winter season you need to be careful because your skin barrier is already prone to dry and cold weather. Exfoliating as per the skin type is very important.

Winter skin is extremely fragile and exposure to allergens can trigger the problems further. People living in areas that witness heavy snowfall must take care of their eyes. The glare from the sun and snow can harm the skin around the eyes causing fine lines and brown spots. So whenever you step outside, make sure to wear good quality UV protected sunglasses.