Top Tips For Keeping Skin Hydrated In The Winter

While winter definitely brings some of your best hair days, it definitely doesn’t take it easy on the skin. Cue the dryness, flakiness, irritation, and sometimes even pain. Winter months call for a major overhaul in a typical skincare routine and the products we use and habits we develop make all the difference in keeping our skin hydrated and healthy. Here are some tips I have researched and discovered.

Keeping your interal body hydrated

Without that hot dehydrated feeling we feel in the summer months, sometimes we forget to drink as much water as the temperature drops. Keeping yourself hydrated with your regular 8 glasses of water a day (I exceed this by far) will help to keep your body balanced. Aside from water, increasing your intake of foods such as celery, cantaloupe, spinach, grapefruit, and carrots, as well as increasing your healthy fat intakes in foods such as avocados, walnuts and olive oil will help as well.

Layering Hydrating Products and Ingredients

Whether you have a 12 step skincare system or a relatively simple one, I am willing to bet that moistuizer is a part of that. Moisturizing the skin seems like a no brainer but it is one of the key steps in keeping your skin healthy in the dry winter months. If your skin can handle it without breaking out, a richer thicker option is a good bet. Another great tip is to layer your hydrating products, such as incorporating a serum before hand or an oil. Also be sure to look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, which attracts and retains the moisture in your skin as well as ceramides, which are fats that lock the moisture in. Mask lover? Winter is definitely the time to focus on those rich hydrating masks as opposed to clearing, tightening ones.

Shower Habits

Although the comfort of a nice hot bath sounds indulgant and soothing, especially during a cold day, it really doesn’t benefit the skin. In fact, the hot water dries out your skin even more. During the winter it is best to take cooler showers that is just warm enough to be comfortable, and for them not to exceed 10 minuets after which your body will start to lose water. Another great tip post shower is to lightly pat dry, but leave your skin slightly damp before you pack on the body lotion. As much as we love our scented gems (and by all means I still use mine so do you) but a fragrance free options works best. For an added boost, you can seran wrap those areas you moisturized for a few hours.

Avoid Dehydrating Ingredients

Alcohol both that you consume and found in products is a huge culprit to dehydration. Another huge offender is caffeine. Limit how much you drink and opt out of skincare products that have alcohol which further dries out your skin, fragrance, or other ingredients that strip your bodys natural oils. A general rule of thumb is to switch out anything too harsh for a more gentler option. For example in the winter, I tend to ease up on my acne clearing cleansers for something a little more gentle and basic. If you’re feeling squeeky clean and tight, it is probably not the best sign for your skin this season.

Exfoliate Smartly

Everyone knows the secret to that baby soft skin is to exfoliate away the dry, dead skin cells. In the winter, exfoliation is just as important but also should be approached a little differently. Too harsh and you can further deplete your moisture levels and worsen irritation. Make sure to exfoliate regularly but gently and avoid any of those tools such as loufas that may be too harsh. Another important note is that if you do flake up, or feel itchy not to scratch, peel, or further irritate your skin.

Other Tips

Humidifer

This little luxury will be a game changer to your skin as it increases the level of moisture in the air and therefore your skin.

SPF

One of the most important steps in a skincare routine is SPF and yet we seem to forget all about it in the winter. However, even in the winter we are still vulnerable to the damage caused by UV rays from the sun. Sometimes even more so as the sun can reflect off the snow and ice. You guys know how hardcore I am for the Elta SPF for the face.

Don’t forget these areas!

Also don’t forget not to neglect your hands, feet, lips. Especially the hands – now where people are really conscious to constantly washing their hands, it is a great idea to moisturize them right after. Adding a rich lotion to your feet and and sealing it with fuzzy socks will work wonders. And chapstick, well I have one at every corner of my house, in every bag, and re-apply constantly. If you want to take it to the next level a good lip scrub and mask will definitely be helpful too.

Oily Skin Types Are Not Exempt

Keep in mind those of you with oily skin types are not exempt and should also keep your face and body hydrated and moisturized.

So what are some of your skincare secrets to survive the winter months? Any holy grail products?

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