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What It is So Important to Take Care of Your Skin in Winters?

Source shutterstock.com l Take Care of Your Skin

‘Harsh winds’, ‘Cold Temperatures’, ‘Snow’ is what we need to be prepared for during winters, which is quite brutal, especially for our skin. Dry skin is quite common during this weather and if this condition is not addressed properly, it can lead to something severe. So, giving your skin all that it needs during cold days will keep it replenished and rejuvenated. Even if you drink adequate water during the day, your skin needs some pampering and deep hydration. Besides using various skincare products, experts also recommend going for a winter facial treatment to reduce winter skin woes. Follow a skincare regime based on your skin type and prepare yourself for the harsh winter weather. This will leave your skin feeling fresh, hydrated and beautiful!

4 Skin Care Products You May Not Know You Need in Winters

1. Face Creams

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The good moisturizing face cream is a must during winters to lock in skin’s moisture and improve its smoothness. A good face cream with its ultra-nourishing properties will protect your skin from winter dryness. It keeps your skin hydrated, delicate and supple for a long.

2. Nourishing Foot Cream

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Dry and cold weather is harsh on our skin especially our feet, as it bears the harshest burden during winters. Irritated soles, cracked heels and swollen and itchy feet are quite common during this time. However, many of us only focus on our faces and hands and ignore our feet. Some people are extremely sensitive to chilly weather and they often experience problems in the feet like Chilblains, Blisters, Raynaud’s Disease, Corns and Calluses etc. To avoid such problems, it is important to take care of your feet. Exfoliation at least once a month is a must. Use a pumice stone or loofah to exfoliate and remove dirt and grime. Use a hydrating moisturizer at night. Nourish your feet with hydrating masks. Apply petroleum jelly or a good foot cream at least two times a day.

3. Moisturizing Lip Balm

Source shutterstock.com l Moisturizing Lip Balm

Even if you are well-protected in cosy warm clothes, your lips will take a beating during winters. It is impossible to protect it from harsh elements, as they are constantly exposed. So, a lip balm is a must to prevent cold weather-induced flaking, cracking and dryness. Pick a winter-appropriate lip balm that contains healing ingredients like aloe vera, coupled with moisturizers like cocoa butter, shea butter, and essential oils. These ingredients will help repair battered and chapped lips.

4. Nourishing Body Wash

Source shutterstock.com l Nourishing Body Wash

As winters are approaching, among other products a nourishing body wash must also be added to the list. This will help you keep your skin glowing, and moisturizing. Body washes that have glycerine and exfoliating ingredients are best for winters. The formula must contain moisturizing ingredients without harsh chemicals or added fragrance.

Winter Care Tips for Glowing Face, by Each Skin Type

Tips for Dry Skin

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Winters is the time when you experience severe dryness of the skin, and it may feel uncomfortable and itchy. Dry skin occurs when there is not sufficient moisture in the skin. During wintertime, there is low humidity both indoors and outdoors, and the moisture content on the skin reflects the humidity level in the environment. Fortunately, there are inexpensive and easy remedies available to relieve winter skin dryness, winter xerosis and winter itchy.

  • Avoid Long and Super-Hot Showers – although enjoying a steaming hot shower on a cold winter day is quite tempting, you must avoid it. This is because too hot water increases the evaporation of the natural hydration of the skin. Don’t let your bath time last for more than 10 minutes.
  • Use Skin Moisturizers – This is an excellent way to rehydrate the outer layer of your skin. A greasier and thicker moisturizer is more effective to combat dry skin. Moisturizing oils and petroleum jelly will seal in the moisture without clogging your pores. Use them right after bathing, when your skin is damp.
  • Minimize Soap Usage – Consider using soap-free or moisturizing soaps like Olay, Dove, Aquanil, and Cetaphil. Stay away from perfumed soaps, deodorant soaps and other alcohol products, as they tend to strip away your skin’s natural oils.
  • Diet – Skin and gut health are directly connected. So, increasing the intake of fats during winters will definitely help combat dry skin. Include walnuts, avocados and olive oil in your daily diet. Limit consumption of coffee, and alcohol as these diuretics tend to cause dehydration. Don’t forget to drink lots of water.
  • Exfoliation – Irrespective of taking care of your skin by applying creams and serums, dry skin will prevail if you don’t include exfoliation in the winter skincare routine. A gentle scrub with ingredients such as lactic and glycolic acid can ward off dead skin.
In addition to these, using a humidifier will add some moisture into the air and avoid dry skin.

Winter Care Tips for Oily Skin

Source shutterstock.com l Oily Skin

Dry skin is a nightmare during winters. However, managing oily skin is not milk and honey either. Although the skin may seem dry outside, the sebaceous glands will not stop excess oil production. Moreover, a decrease in the humidity levels will leave your T-zone blotting less than usual. So, it is important to make a few adjustments in your winter skincare routine, which will help you wade through the cold climate with better skin. Here are a few tips to follow –

  • Avoid changing your skincare products – Many people tend to change their skincare products based on the season. If the products you are using are working well for your skin then continue using them. Changing skin care products all of a sudden may lead to acne breakouts.
  • Use Water-Based Products – This is a very important tip for those with oily skin. Always use water-based BB cream, concealer, foundation or sunscreen.
  • Use Natural Skin-care Ingredients – Rather than going for expensive beauty products, use natural ingredients like turmeric, sandalwood and tea tree oil, which are extremely effective for oily skin. Prepare masks by combining such natural products to take care of your oily skin in winters.
  • Health Diet and Hydration – Avoid unhealthy oily and fried foods. Snack on nuts, seeds and include at least 4 servings of salad and fruits. Drink plenty of water, which will not only flush out toxins but also hydrates your skin.
  • Exfoliate – Oily skin is prone to various skin issues like blackheads and pimples. Exfoliating will remove excess oil and dirt giving a healthy skin texture. Exfoliate no more than 3 times a week. This is because excess exfoliation will lead to rashes.

Winter Care Tips for Combination Skin

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Combination skin is one where some parts or oily and some are dry and it is quite tricky to figure out the right skincare regime as different parts have different needs. Often people mix up the combination and oily skin types as both are almost similar. However, the key difference to look for is the area that looks oily. You will notice a greasy-look all over the face with pimples and blackheads being a major problem in oily skin. On the other side, in combination skin, you will notice excess oil only on the T-zone while other areas tend to be dull and dry, especially the eye area, temples and cheeks.

Like the other skin types, cold winter weather also affects those with combination skin. So, taking care of the skin during this dermis-damaging season is quite important.

  • Gentle Cleanser – Cleansing your skin before you apply any skincare products is a numero uno rule that many of them often tend to skip. Avoid oil-based cleaners as they can clog pores leading to acne while soapy gels can be too drying. Always pick products that are mild and do not strip the natural oils. Also, pick a cleaner that mattifies the T-zone without over-drying the eye area, cheeks and temples. Micellar water is best for combination skin.
  • Moisturize – Hydrating your skin is a must, irrespective of your skin type as our skin tends to lose moisture in winter and replenishing it is very important. If you don’t moisturize then it might trigger sun damage. Choose a deeply hydrating and oil-free moisturizer that nourishes and calms your skin. The moisturizer should not add further slickness to the already oily T-zone.
  • Sunscreen –UV protection before you head out is something that one must not avoid, which helps prevent dryness, sun spots, premature ageing and others. SPF 50 is awesome, especially if you are living in cities, as it will not only shields you from UV rays but also protects your skin from toxins in the air. A moisturizer with SPF is also a great pick for combination skin.
  • Exfoliating – A good exfoliator will remove dull and dry surface cells leaving a bright and smooth skin that you can proudly flaunt. Make sure to use a gentle exfoliator not more than 2 times a week. A face scrub that is suitable for all types of skin will be perfect for combination skin as well.
  • Face Mask – A face mask does wonders for combination skin, especially during winter. Multi-masking is even better, which means applying different masks to different areas, which is the ideal technique to take care of this skin type.

In addition, use under-eye cream to keep the area hydrated. Use blotting papers to remove the excess shine on your T-zone.

Winter Care Tips for Acne Prone Skin

Source shutterstock.com l Acne Prone Skin

Wintertime is especially hard for acne-prone skin. Dry indoors, wind, cold weather along with drying acne medications and products makes it worse. So, a proper skin-regime during winters is a must to avoid uncomfortable dryness, peeling, flaking and itching and make your skin feel and look the best.

  • Don’t Wash Often – Due to acne, you may want to cleanse your skin frequently. However, excess cleansing will further dry your skin. Sometimes even cleansing twice in a day may feel too much. So, preferably use a cleanser once a day at night to remove excess oil, grime, sweat, makeup and built up accumulated on the skin the whole day.
  • Moisturize – Moisturizing is important even if you have acne-prone skin, especially during winters, as it will make your skin look and feel better. It also helps tolerate the dryness caused due to acne treatment. Pick the right moisturizer that is ideal for acne-prone skin. Make sure, the label mentions that it is non-comedogenic, to prevent clogging of pores.
  • Sunscreen – Skin is susceptible to sun damage in winters as much as it is during a warmer season. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF at least 30. There are oil-free products that are exclusively made for acne-prone skin, natural-based sunscreens and tinted sunscreen to give cosmetic coverage. You can pick any of these products.
  • Reduce Topical Applications – Despite your constant efforts, if you experience dry or chapped skin with flaking and peeling then scale back on using acne treatment. Use these products on alternate days or every third day, which will give some break to your skin. This helps in reducing irritation and dryness. You can gradually start using acne medications when your skin feels better. If the dryness and peeling are extreme then consult your dermatologist.

Home Remedies for Winter Care

Source shutterstock.com l Home Remedies for Winter Care

Winter skin care routine demands meticulous care to prevent skin-woes. Try these simple home remedies to take care of your skin in winters.

  • Milk-Honey Mask – This mask is especially good for acne-prone skin. It will not only soothe skin rashes but also combats bacteria. Mix 2 tbsp honey and 6 tbsp milk and apply this mixture to the combination parts. Let it sit for at least a few minutes before washing it off with lukewarm water.
  • Olive Oil and Cocoa Butter – The goodness of these ingredients will nourish and moisturize your skin. Make a paste of 1 tbsp each of olive oil, cocoa butter and ½ tsp of ginger paste (removes dirt and grime off the skin). Apply this on the skin and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.
  • Almond Oil and Aloe Vera – This is an excellent remedy to remove dead skin and hydrate your skin. Mix together 1 tsp of aloe vera gel and 8 to 10 drops of almond oil. Massage this mixture on the skin for 15 minutes. Leave it overnight and the next day rinse it off, which makes your skin extremely soft.
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Malathi
Malathi is a freelance content writer offering blogging, ghost-writing, and copywriting services. In addition to developing digital marketing content, she maintains niche websites related to kids, parenting, and pregnancy. Malathi's works have been featured on several prominent blogs and websites. When she is not writing, you will find her exploring exotic locales on our beautiful planet.

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