Cold weather skincare tips and essential beauty products

Your skin is your body’s largest organ and its protective barrier. So it’s extremely important for you to take care of it. Do you live somewhere with winter weather? Then you need to take extra care as the cold conditions are harsh on and damaging to skin. Here are all the cold weather skincare tips you need to keep your skin healthy during the brutal winter months.

COLD WEATHER SKINCARE – MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE

One of the best things you can do for your skin’s health when it’s cold outside? Preserve the moisture your skin naturally produces in the form of oils. Overwashing using hot water will dry your skin out fast. So while cold weather may have you aching for a long, hot shower, your skin will thank you if you go easy on the heat. You also should shower less frequently. According to dermatologist Dr. Shari Marchbein, a short, lukewarm shower is much better for your skin than the long, hot one the cold weather may have you wanting.

Even with reducing the length and temperature of your showers, your skin will be dryer than usual and you will want to add moisture to it. You can moisturize from the inside by drinking lots of water. Dermatologist Dr. Angela Lamb suggests drinking at least one extra glass of water a day to help maintain your skin’s natural moisture during colder months.

You can also hydrate your skin by adding moisture to the air. Having the heat on leads to dryer air, which leads to dryer skin. Using a humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in will help keep your skin moisturized. For a small room like a bedroom or office, we like the Pure MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, which is powerful while also small and nearly silent. For larger rooms, consider the Levoit Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier, which holds more water and includes a remote control.

COLD WEATHER SKINCARE – COVER UP AND PROTECT

As well as keeping your skin hydrated, it’s important to keep it covered up when outside. Wear hats and gloves and clothing that is breathable and comfortable as damp clothing will irritate the skin. Dr. Linda Stein Gold recommends preventing wool and rough clothing from contacting your skin directly because such materials can lead to itching and irritation. Layering is one of the best things to do in order to make sure your skin stays covered up and away from irritating fabrics.

The skincare products you use are also key, and you should adjust them during the colder winter months. You will need to moisturize more often, applying moisturizer immediately after washing your skin while it’s still damp, and Dr. Samer Jaber recommends switching to a thicker moisturizing cream in place of your daily lotion. Try upgrading to CeraVe Healing Ointment or Clinique Moisture Surge Auto-Replenishing Hydrator for deeper moisturization. Arizona Dermatology recommends that whatever you buy, look for these key ingredients in moisturizers: ceramides, humectants, occlusives and hyaluronic acid. And don’t forget the sunblock either.

COLD WEATHER SKINCARE – CLEAN YOUR SKIN THE RIGHT WAY

What you wash with before you moisturize also matters. Where you want to use a stronger moisturizer during winter months, the opposite is true of your cleanser and dermatologists recommend switching to gentler, fragrance free cleansers for both face and body. Dr. Lamb says “the key is to use gentle cleansers” that won’t strip moisture away from the skin and Dr. Jaber adds that you should avoid anything with fragrance and use something as bland as possible on your face. Good options here are Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser which can be used on both the face and body and Dove Instant Foaming Body Wash . Both are gentle on skin and highly moisturizing. Dermatologists also recommend exfoliating less during cold winter months.

Products that you can use overnight are also great because, as Dr. Gretchen Frieling says, sleep is “when your skin works to restore and repair, which is why night cream focuses on moisture and recovery.” Two good overnight moisturizers to add to your winter skincare routine are Laneige Water Sleeping Mask and CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream.

COLD WEATHER SKINCARE – DEAL WITH THOSE CHAPPED LIPS

Lastly, don’t forget about your lips as they can easily dry out and crack in cold weather. Dr. Marchbein recommends ointments over balms and chapsticks, as ointments don’t have preservatives and work to retain moisture better. She also recommends that you moisturize your lips before bed as well as during the day since “we tend to lose the most heat and moisture from our skin overnight.” For moister lips try Aquaphor Lip Protectant + Sunscreen during the day and Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask overnight.

The main takeaway is, however you choose to do it, be sure to keep your skin as moisturized as possible during cold winter months.