Keep Your Dry Skin Supple and Glowing Through the Winters with this Skincare Routine (2020)!

The most significant change that people from hot climates experience during winter is on their skin. It starts by a feeling of ‘stretching of the skin’. Then it proceeds to skin becoming dry and flaky that is prone to cuts and inflammation. This happens because our skin is sensitive to change in weather. Winter brings with it cold temperatures, decrease in relative humidity and dry atmosphere. This causes our skin to become dehydrated. Moreover the sensation of thirst is greatly reduced in cold temperatures as sweating becomes minimal, and we drink less water thus making our skin more dehydrated.

This phenomenon is a bane to all as skin dryness brings no benefits with it. It’s a battle for people who have normal, oily or combination skin, constantly trying to maintain the hydration level, and nothing less than a world war for people with dry skin. Dry skin is anyways dry and on top of it the weather aggravates that dryness causing untold difficulties and pain.

The inconvenience of dry skin in winter can be overcome with an appropriate skin care routine. A proper skin care routine for winter for dry skin is an all- round solution. It not only protects the skin from the effects of winter but also infuses the right amount of hydration. Follow this skin care routine from BP Guide to protect dry skin from winter:

The dry atmosphere of the winter months makes your skin dry, resulting in deposition of dead skin cells on the skin. The dead skin cell count will be more if you have dry skin. It is a fact that no skin care routine will be effective on an unclean face so the very first step of a skin care routine is removing dirt and debris from it. To accomplish that, you need to cleanse your face with a cleanser. Now there have been complaints that cleansers tend to dry out the skin and strip it of its natural moisture thus making them impossible to be used on dry skin. In that case, you need to use a cleanser that is gentle. Ideally, it should exfoliate the skin and hydrate it at the same time. Stay clear of foaming facewashes and do not be aggressive in application of the cleanser. Also don’t cleanse your face frequently on a dry skin even when the cleanser is gentle. Keep it limited to once a day.

The formula of this Nivea Milk Delights facewash is enriched with milk and honey both of which are hydrating. They act as natural moisturisers and make the skin soft and supple all the while locking in moisture in the skin. This facewash is ideal for people who have dry skin because it gently exfoliates and doesn’t strip the skin of its moisture. Your skin will feel hydrated throughout the day and dry and flaky skin will not appear. It also maintains the pH balance of the skin. A bottle contains 50 ml of this product and can be bought for Rs.90 from Nykaa.

Applying toner to the skin is the second round of cleansing. You can apply toner after you have cleansed the skin with facewash. It removes the last traces of grime and dirt from the surface of the skin and from deep within the pores. Toner does not only clean the face but also hydrates and nourishes it. The ideal toner for dry skin should be one that is hydrating and moisturising and maintains the pH balance. After you are done applying cleanser, moisten a cotton ball with the toner and apply it gently all over your face.

This toner from Good Vibes is infused with pomegranate extracts. The formula contains no sulphates, no parabens, no alcohol and is cruelty-free. It keeps the skin hydrated for a long time, removes impurities from the skin surface, deep cleans the pores and minimises their appearance. It also maintains the pH balance of the skin. This toner is ideal for people with dry skin because of its gentle cleansing and hydrating properties. 180 ml of this product comes at a price of Rs.245 on Amazon.

This is the third and the most important step in the skin care routine. The entire skin care routine will bear no fruit if you skip this step. People who have dry skin should use a moisturiser that is thick and a little oily in consistency. The formula of the moisturiser must contain ingredients that provide deep hydration to the skin to compensate for the lack of natural hydration of dry skin. After cleansing your face, apply a thick coat of moisturiser and massage gently. Dry skin requires that this moisturisation be done twice every day, once after waking up and once before going to bed, during winter. You can use a good quality cream such as this Nivea All Season Creme that is available on Amazon for Rs.175.

Remember to also massage body oils and body moisturisers after taking a bath. Also, drink adequate amount of water to assist this step of skin care. The Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Restore Body Lotion is one of the best moisturisers for dry skin. It contains droplets of petroleum jelly and pure oat extracts that lock in moisture and keep your skin hydrated throughout the day. It restores dry skin but doesn’t have a greasy texture. The formula is paraben free and a 400 ml bottle of this moisturiser can be bought for Rs.285 from Amazon.

Dry skin becomes drier after exposure to the sun. The skin becomes visibly flaky and parched. Dry skin requires a sunscreen that has moisturising properties and is SPF 30 at least. Do not forget to wear sunscreen before going out during day time. Apply it on all the exposed parts of your skin. Carry an umbrella or a wide rim hat with you to provide further protection from the sun rays.

This sunscreen cream from Biotique is made from natural ingredients. It has an SPF count of more than 50 and does a great job in protecting your dry skin from intense sun rays. The formula is hydrating without giving you a greasy feel and it is water resistant. A tube contains 50 ml of this sunscreen and comes at a price of Rs.200 on Amazon.

Your skin is the most active while you are sleeping. While you are getting your well-deserved rest after an exhausting day, your skin goes into regeneration mode. The natural exfoliation process of the skin begins; dead skin cells are shed and new ones take its place. Sun damage and other environmental damage are repaired. This is the best time for you to apply a night cream and assist in this regeneration process. Night creams are moisturisers that are heavier and more intense than day moisturisers. In step 3, we spoke about the need to moisturise dry skin twice a day during the winters. The night time moisturisation can be done with night creams. They are hydrating and has properties that can successfully rejuvenate the skin. Cleanse your face and gently massage a night cream before going to bed. Your troubles with dry and flaky skin will truly be over.

Olay’s revitalising night cream is just what dry skin requires during winter. It hydrates, regenerates and restores the skin giving it a glowing and firm appearance. The skin will feel smooth and plump and the parched look associated with dry skin will be a distant nightmare. 50 grams of this night cream can be bought for Rs.1,399 from Amazon.

The skin around the eyes is sensitive and is prone to dark circles and puffiness. A complete skin care routine should address this and hence the last step of this skin care routine involves applying an eye cream around the eyes. As already been mentioned, the skin around the eyes is super thin and sensitive and having dry skin aggravates it. Slathering a dollop of some heavy moisturiser in that area is not the solution. What you should apply there is an eye cream. These products are made keeping in mind the sensitive skin around the eyes and will not cause any harm. The ideal eye cream for dry skin should be ultra-hydrating and have a soothing effect on the skin. The best type to apply eye cream is before going to bed but you can apply it whenever it is convenient to you.

The eye cream from The Moms Co. is infused with Vitamin E, coffee oil and chia seed oil. It effectively reduces dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles. The hydrating properties of this eye cream restores and soothes dry skin and improves skin radiance. 15 grams of the cream is priced at Rs.474 on themomsco.com.

A skin care routine is a must during winter but it alone cannot counteract the havoc wreaked by cold temperatures on our skin. A skin care routine is an extra layer of skin care not the only step. Along with it, you need to swear by some habits that will protect your skin from harsh winters. Let us look at some of them:

One can never stress on this fact enough. Dry skin requires hydration, not just from outside but from within as well. You apply those hydrating moisturisers externally and provide hydration from within through water intake. Since you are not sweating, the sensation of thirst is reduced but that doesn’t mean you will backtrack on the 8 glasses of water a day rule. Even when you are not thirsty be mindful of that fact and keep drinking water regularly. Inadequate water intake shows on your skin. It becomes dehydrated and dull.

Make sure that winter wear made from wool, synthetic fibres or some other coarse fibre do not come directly in contact with your skin. Constant rubbing of these materials with your dry skin will cause irritation. Always have a layer of cotton cloth in between your skin and your winter clothes. You can either buy those jackets and jumpers with cotton lining on the insides or wear a cotton full sleeved t-shirt beneath them.

Winter makes skin dry and dry skin drier. The normal lotion moisturiser that you use in the summer will not do the trick during winter. You need to apply a moisturiser that is thick and heavy, otherwise you will not be able to make up for the lost hydration. This is true for normal skin type and more so for dry skin. Apply multiple coats of the thick moisturiser if you feel one coat did not remove the “stretching” feel of the skin.

A healthy diet is the key to healthy skin and hair. Your skin always reflects what you eat. Avoid deep fried food and street food as much as possible. Same goes with oily food. Consume lots of leafy green vegetables, healthy proteins and seasonal fruits. Eat food that is rich in Vitamins A and C. There are some ingredients that have a direct link to healthy skin like tomatoes, carrots, peas, mangoes, beans, fatty fishes, etc. Try to incorporate them in your diet as much as possible. As an afterthought, maintain a healthy diet not just during winter but throughout the year. Health is wealth and you might as well invest more than the winter months in it.

Soaps can be harmful to your skin because they alter the pH balance of the skin and make it alkaline. This causes flaking and drying of the skin. You should be careful regarding what soap you are using. Pay close attention to the ingredients used in the soap and opt for those that have oils and emollients in them. Gentle should be the keyword when you are buying a soap to be applied on dry skin in winter.

Scrubbing while having a shower is necessary to remove the dead skin cells from the body. Ideally you should be scrubbing everyday but that is a luxury that people with dry skin cannot afford, especially during the winter months. It is best that they limit scrubbing to every alternate day. Even then they should use a soft loofah and not be aggressive while scrubbing.