Do you wear the same clothes in the winter as you do in the summer? Of course not, but are you using the same skin care products year-round?
Just like your clothes, your skin care should be seasonal. Care is especially vital in the winter with its harsh temperatures (think freezing cold outdoors, blasting heat indoors). You winterize your car and your pipes — you also need to winterize your skin care routine.
“The air is frigid and dry outside, and any kind of indoor heat leaves it even more parched. Your skin’s protective barrier cracks, making it less able to repair itself,” explains San Francisco dermatologist Katie Rodan, MD, in Health Magazine. “It becomes a vicious cycle unless you do something to prevent it.”
But you don’t need to accept a dull complexion and dry arms and legs in the winter months. Follow these simple tips for winter skin care:
Layer-up. Start with your facial cleanser, something gentle and moisturizing. For your body, likewise use a cleanser that moisturizes. A serum will complete the routine, going deep to hydrate cells. The products you use for this routine should be different than what you use in the summer, because summer products may not offer the protection you need for winter’s cold and winds.
Exfoliate. “It’ll brighten your skin, and your moisturizer can penetrate better if you don’t have a 50-car pileup of dead cells,” says Rodan. In the winter, exfoliate one to three times a week with a scrub that is nonabrasive and gentle.
Cover-up. The best way to capture the moisturizing effects of a good hand cream or foot cream is to wear gloves or socks right after application. Hands have fewer oil glands, which means they dry out faster than the rest of your body.