Winter is the time when we all have countless skin problems like dryness, flaking, itchy elbows, chapping of lips, dandruff and what not. If you are troubled with bad skin during the winter months, here are some excellent winter skin care tips that will keep your skin, soft, supple, glowing and entirely trouble free. Follow these skin care regimes and see how your skin evolves under the winter sun.
1. Short showers
While the summer months prompt you to be in the shower for as much time as possible to cool off your body, this may not be a good option during the winter months. This is because the skin can get dehydrated and cause even more dryness with every minute you are in the hot shower.
Heat removes the natural oils form your skin, making it dry and rough and scaly as well. To prevent dryness of the skin, make sure that you take shorter showers. Avoid using hot water, even if it is biting cold out there. Warm water is the best for winter months as it will help in retaining the precious natural oil in your skin. Also remember to pat a good moisturizer on as soon as you pat your skin dry in order to retain the moisture on the skin.
2. Milder Soaps
Any harsh soap can make your skin dry. This will become worse during the winter months as the weather too is dry. Most antibacterial soaps could be harsh on your skin and remove all the moisture from your skin. Change to a mild soap, an organic one would be better. Try and avoid deep scented ones. An unscented soap with a milk or honey moisturizer will help in keeping the skin soft and supple and also in preventing the loss of moisture from the skin.
You must also be careful about the detergents that you use for your laundry as harsh detergents can irritate and make your skin dry when it comes in contact with the laundered clothes.
3. Moisturize your skin
At all points of time ensure that your skin is well moisturized, without giving it a chance to become dry and wrinkled. This can be done before you head to sleep, after you wake up and when you are out. You must also make it a point to moisturize your skin after you take a bath.
Do not get carried away by false promises made by cosmetic giants to moisturize your skin. Stick to basic products like mineral oil, olive oil, petroleum jelly etc. Drinking plenty of water too is important to keep the skin moisturized from within. Moisturizing must be done even if you have oily skin. Just stick to creams that are non-comedogenic, which prevent clogging of pores.
4. Careful Shaving
Shaving the skin mostly leaves your skin very rough and dry. During the winter months, the problems aggravate and hence care must be taken to use a sharp blade every time you shave. Before shaving, always ensure that your skin is well lubricated. Shaving on dry skin can lead to nicks and cuts. Either lubricate your skin with a soap or use a shaving cream for this purpose. You must also shave in the direction of hair growth to prevent nicks and cuts.
5. Importance of a sunscreen lotion
Many of us are under the false impression that sunscreens are necessary when the sun is bright and shining. The truth is that even when it is snowy and cloudy, sunscreens are a must. Up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays can penetrate through snow, clouds and fog. This can lead to dry skin, wrinkles, moles and premature ageing. Remember to choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and also one which has UVA as well as UVB protection. It must also be applied every 2-3 hours for maximum protection.
6. Chapping of Lips
As lips lack oil glands, they get dry very fast. During winter months, chapped lips can cause great discomfort and also pain. Most of us are used to licking our lips when it turns dry. This will cause more dryness and chapping. Cover your lips under scarf when it is cold. You can use a humidifier inside the house as well to control the dryness in the atmosphere. Use a lip balm with SPF 15 while out in the sun as chapped lips can get worse in sun.