Winter is a time to make snow angels, throw snowballs, and put carrots on the faces of snowmen to give them a nose. But winter is also a time when your skin needs more attention than ever.

What can you do to protect your skin from winter’s elements and the inevitable frosty weather that comes with it?

Here is a list of common winter skin conditions, along with 15 tips for a healthy daily routine so you can guard your skin against the harmful effects of the winter wonderland.

7 Common Winter Skin Conditions

Here is a list of seven common winter skin conditions and their remedies.

Dry Skin

As dry skin naturally produces less sebum, your skin’s natural lubricant, seasonal dry skin occurs when it lacks oil due to decreased oil production. To combat dry skin during the winter, use extra-rich moisturizers, and apply oil-based face cream in the morning and evening.

Dehydrated Skin

Dehydrated skin is different from dry skin in that it lacks moisture and water—not oil. Skin can lack water due to external factors like dry winter weather. Cold, dry air causes the skin to become dehydrated. Avoid exfoliating or using harsh cleansers. Instead, use gentle, foam-based products.

Chapped Skin

Chapped skin is a combination of dehydrated skin, sun exposure, and windburn. You can relieve the discomfort of chapped skin by applying healing ointment on any skin surface exposed to the cold.

Keratosis Pilaris Breakouts

People suffering from KP know during the winter that the clear skin on their arms and legs becomes red and lumpy. Those with KP need to use gentle exfoliators and double the amount of moisturizer they use, in addition to using a lotion with lactic acid.

Oily Skin

If your skin’s natural sebum is gone, your glands start overproducing oil to compensate for it. As a result, your skin becomes very oily. But clarifying skin toners (like Witch Hazel Tonic) may help and other gentle, hydrating skincare products.

Chapped Lips

Winter weather exacerbated by continuous licking can cause chapped lips to become dry, flaky, cracked, or bleed. As the lips do not contain oil glands like other parts of the skin, they are more susceptible to drying out and becoming chapped.

Dry Hands and Feet

The hands and feet have fewer sebaceous glands than the rest of your skin, thereby making them more prone to dryness. However, receiving regular manicures and pedicures, along with applying hydrating lotion, can help. Before bedtime, slather lotion on both your hands and feet, then put on socks and gloves, and go to sleep. You will wake up with smooth and reinvigorated appendages.

People with a daily skincare regime may not realize that they must adjust it from season to season. So, what does a daily winter skincare regime entail?

Below is a list of 15 tips for a healthy daily routine to protect and maintain your skin’s health during the winter season.

Use a Thick Moisturizer

The first mistake people make is choosing a face moisturizer in the form of a lotion—not a cream. Lotions do not have as much of a thickening agent as creams do, so they do not have as much effectiveness.

Use an oil-based moisturizer as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin, retaining more moisture than a standard cream or lotion. (Helpful tip: Lotions labeled as “night creams” are oil-based.)

Choose a moisturizer with the right oils because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Look for “non-clogging” oils such as avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Shea oil (also referred to as butter) and vegetable shortening will clog pores, sit on the skin’s surface, and feel greasy.

Look for creams containing “humectants” that attract moisture. Humectants are a class of substances that include glycerine, sorbitol, and alpha-hydroxy acid. Choose fragrance-free products that have non-comedogenic ceramides, the Vitamin B derivative, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid.

Use SPF

Winter sun and snow glare can damage the skin, so make sure to apply broad-spectrum SPF to both your face and hands (if exposed to the sun) 30 minutes before going outside. If you are in the sun for long periods, reapply the SPF.

Use a Humidifier

Central heating systems and space heaters provide warm, dry air in our homes and workplaces, but humidifiers are the appliances that get moisture in the air, thereby protecting your skin from drying out. Having several humidifiers throughout the space in your home and office will help disperse the moisture more evenly.

Eat Healthily

People have said that water helps your skin stay looking young. Well, that is a myth. Drinking water is for your overall health and not the health of your skin. But having a healthy diet and absorbing essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins from the food you eat will certainly help your skin stay healthy.

Avoid Hot Bathing

After being in the cold, sometimes nothing sounds better than a warm shower or hot bath. But when you bathe in the warmth right after being in the cold, the lipid barriers break down in the skin, leading to a loss of moisture and cracks in the skin’s surface. Try to bathe in lukewarm water for a short time, then follow it up by reapplying moisturizer with ceramides and hyaluronic acid.

Use Gentle, Fragrance-Free Cleansers

Gentle facewash cleansers are very moisturizing and do not strip moisture away from the skin. It is essential to use products with ceramides and glycerin to repair and protect the skin’s moisture barrier.

Do Not Go Outside While Damp

If you go outside in the cold while wet or damp, your skin will chap more often. Wet skin in the cold can cause irritation, itching, cracking, sores, or even an eczema flare-up. If this happens to you, and you continue to experience discomfort, dryness, or irritation, try 1% hydrocortisone cream OTC.

Lower the Thermostat

Lowering the thermostat gives you a chance to avoid the dryness caused by warm or hot air. Try setting your thermostat at a cool, comfortable temperature (68°-72°) to maintain healthy skin.

Adjust Your Skin Care Regime

During the winter, you must use cream-based cleansers and avoid using toners and astringents due to their alcohol content that can dry out the skin. As a winter skincare regime is not your ordinary skincare, remember that when your skin is dry and itchy, avoid using products with alcohol or fragrances to give your skin a chance to keep its natural oils.

Use rich moisturizers on the face at night. Apply moisturizing lip balm to your lips to heal them if they are dry or cracked and keep them from getting chapped.

Wear Layers

Wear appropriate, comfortable, and non-irritating clothing during winter. Many cold-weather clothing materials can aggravate dry winter skin, so wear light, soft layers against your skin made from breathable materials. Layer your clothes with bulky, warm sweaters, and remember to wear gloves.

Exfoliate Regularly

Cold temperatures and significant drops in humidity can make the skin on your face feel flakey and dry. But when you exfoliate, you can slough away dead skin cells to reveal healthy, radiant skin. If you have dry skin, ensure that you exfoliate gently and smoothly.

Take a Skin Supplement

You can give your complexion a boost with a skincare supplement. Look for one that has hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed collagen, and phytoceramides that will improve hydration and strengthen the skin’s barrier so it can maintain its moisture balance.

Shave Smartly

If your skin is dry, shaving can irritate it and aggravate much more. To avoid this, when shaving, use a lubricant or shaving cream. Change your razor blades often, and shave in the direction your hair grows.

Use an Eye Cream

Winter can make the eyes puffy and saggy. But if you use an eye cream or eye mask rich in collagen and skin firming elastin, your eyes will become hydrated and firm.

Use Lip Balm

During the winter, lips can suffer from the harsh, cold winds and dry out, leaving them cracked and peeling. But lip balm keeps them smooth and moisturized. Also, when you wear lip balm, ensure it has SPF.

Winter can be a very taxing and stressful time, but as you continue to take care of your skin, you will continue to feel empowered and confident and ready to take on whatever the world hands you next. For more empowering beauty tips and techniques, contact Beauty Roulette today!