Winter Skin Care Tips ... For All Skin Types

Labels: Winter Skin Care Tips

Here are some great winter skin care tips to keep your skin in tip top shape over those cold winter months. The cold wintery air, wind, and indoor heat are just three of the reasons your skin can get much dryer in the winter and for some people it can be a real problem especially if you already suffer with dry skin.

Avoid Harsh Products
Using harsh deodorant soaps or antibacterial soaps can strip away your skin's natural protective oils, so don't use them. Instead look for gentle skin care products or even try skin care ranges for babies which of course are always much more gentle.
If your skin feels especially dry, you could look for over the counter cleansing and moisturizing products that eczema sufferers use, as they are usually rich in emollients and are non drying to your skin. Emollient based products are really good for eczema treatment and dry skin treatment because they increase the skin's hydration/water content, by reducing evaporation.

Hot Baths Dry Your Skin

Avoid having prolonged hot baths. We all love a long, hot bath during colder weather but they will dry your skin even further. Instead opt to have a quicker warm shower.

When you finish your shower and before you dry yourself, rub about a tablespoon of baby oil, or similar body oil, all over your body and then gently pat yourself dry with your towel. You will find that the water disperses really quickly and you are left with instantly soft skin. You could also put your oil into a clean spray bottle for easier application.

Just as a safety precaution if you are using oil in or near the bath be very care not to spill the oil in the bath, as you don't want to create a slippery surface and fall over.
You could still use your favorite body moisturizer a few minutes after using the oil as well, giving you super double moisturization. If you already use body lotion after your shower anyway, a good tip is to put it on while you skin is still damp. This locks moisture in before your skin begins to dry out. Again remember to use gentle products.

Hydrating Face and Body Cleansers
Hydrating face and body cleansers are a really popular product at the moment as they apparently gently remove dirt, oil and makeup without disrupting the skin's natural protective barrier. I have not used these myself, so perhaps do a Google search for "hydrating face and body cleansers" and do some investigation to see what seems to be the most popular product. Be aware that you don't always have to have the most expensive product either. Click to read my post about Skin Care on a Budget

Day and Night Moisturizers
You should use a face moisturizer every single day after cleaning your face and if you don't you really should look into making this a basic requirement for you skin. If you do already have a favorite brand moisturizer then see if they have a night time moisturizer to compliment it. You could always use the night time moisturizer during the day on particularly cold days as well as an added protection factor, but do be aware that the night time creams normally have no sun protection factor (SPF)

Age Defying Foundation
If you don't normally use a skin foundation then think about using one just for the winter cold months when you have to go outdoors. Very dry skins could even benefit from using an age defying foundation even if you are a young person. Pop along to your favorite make up counter and ask for some advice and free samples. They normally have many free samples to give you especially as they will see you as a potential future customer. Again the cheaper brands can be as good if not better than the more expensive brands.

Look After Your Nose
Another important area of the face that nobody mentions is the end of your nose.

It is an area you don't even think to put moisturizer.

I always continue to moisturize the very edges of my nostril area because this area can dry very very quickly and before you know it, you have bits of unsightly dry skin all around the end of your nose (especially so when you get a cold). So be aware to moisturize the edge of your nose routinely to prevent any dryness before it begins.

Dry cracked lips can be a problem too so don't forget to moisturize your lips with a good lip balm and preferably one with a good Sun protection factor (SPF)

Humidify your Home
Humidifiers are said to be great for treating dry skin and can apparently be very beneficial in helping soothe skin dryness and itchiness.
Again I have not tried humidifiers myself, but I do have small bowls of water in every room in my house, to try and combat the drying effect of heated stuffy rooms and I believe it really does help with the humidity in my house.
You will be surprised how quickly these bowls of water evaporate so don't forget to top them up.

Skin Hydration
As always it is just as important to drink plenty of water during the winter season as well as in the hotter season, as your skin still needs plenty of hydration. Drinking water will always promote healthy skin and lips.

I hope you find this article on winter skin care tips useful and implement as many of my suggestions as often as you can.