Rain, chilly winds, snow, and lots of other harsh conditions. All these bring on a series of reactions on the skin. Maintaining soft and glowing skin requires proper skin care in winter. You might wonder why our skin reacts the way it does in winter.
During winter, temperature, and humidity levels come down. The amount of moisture and lipids in the skin barrier during winter, compared to summer, also decreases. The sebaceous glands are not as active as before. Since the skin barrier needs moisture to perform well, the reduction in moisture and fewer lipids causes irritation and skin dryness in winter. If left untreated, it may cause lots of serious problems. The dry, chilly, and harsh winds outside rob the skin further of its natural oils and moisture when you step outside. It may compel you to think ‘how to take care of skin in winter naturally’? Read on.
Importance of Skin Care in Winter
Skin care in winter becomes important due to a variety of factors. We take hot baths and showers during winters. They make us feel better but they play havoc with the skin by removing the natural oils and moisture. Some of us also use indoor heating. This reduces the humidity and draws moisture from the skin. The dryness and irritation become worse when we rub the skin hard and use harsh soaps and gels. These lifestyle changes lead to skin dryness during the season.
After the onset of skin dryness in winter, different people experience some or all of the following issues in varying intensities:
- Redness
- Irritation
- Itching
- Stinging
- Cracks
- Discomfort on touch
- Rough patches
- Flaking
To prevent and cure these problems, we should have regular dry skin care in winter.
A Must-Have Winter Skin Care Routine
If you want to have an effective skin care routine during the winter season, make sure you follow the winter skin care tips listed below:
1. Moisturising
Moisturisers are an important part of the winter skin care routine. They help in the retention of moisture in the skin and provide nourishment. Always remember to moisturise after every shower and before going to bed.
While choosing a moisturiser for skin care in winter, select the one that contains ingredients like cocoa butter and wheat germ. Cocoa butter keeps the skin soft by providing nourishment and retention of moisture. Wheat germ oil is rich in vitamin E, which prevents skin dryness.
2. Lip Balm
Chilly, dry winds in winter make the lips dry and chapped, making it essential to have a winter skin care routine on a daily basis. When we cover them with face masks, this problem worsens. For soft lips, use a lip balm as often as you need to. While selecting a lip balm, choose the one that contains herbs and oils like cocoa butter, sal butter, carrot seed oil, or coconut oil. These ingredients do a great job of moisturising the lips.
3. Water Intake
Skin dryness in winter increases because we feel less thirsty during this season when compared to summer. So our consumption of water drops significantly. Doctors recommend we take 8-12 glasses of water every day. If drinking water is an issue, you can hydrate yourself by drinking more fluids like soups, coconut water, herbal teas, etc. for skin care in winter.
4. Balanced Diet
A balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables provides the body with all the nutrients that it needs to stay healthy during winter. In particular, those food items that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C, and E help in keeping the skin healthy and well-moisturised.
Winter Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin
Apart from the essential winter skin care routine above, follow these tips below for dry skin care in winter. It will go a long way in making you look and feel better this winter.
1. Use Mild bath Soaps
During winter, switch over to mild soaps. They let the body keep its natural oils. Stay away from deodorant and perfumed soaps, as they make the skin drier.
2. Use Lukewarm Water for Bathing
Lukewarm water is better than hot water for baths in winter. The higher the temperature of the bathwater, the greater its tendency to remove moisture and cause skin irritation. So, always have your bath with lukewarm water in winter.
3. Maintain Humidity
If you have a home heating system, keep a humidifier set to 60%. It will counteract the moisture-stripping effect of the home heater, and will help you treat dehydrated skin.
Winter Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin
Many people believe that oily skin is easier to manage during winter, as the dry air removes the excess oils. But this is not really true. While the sebaceous glands of oily skins keep producing excess oils, the harsh winter affects everyone. That’s why a winter care for oily skin is as important as a winter skin care routine for dry skin.
1. Moisturise Your Skin
Moisturising is one of the dry skin remedies crucial both in the morning and at night, with water-based moisturisers, preferably those with built-in sunscreen. This will keep your skin healthy and soft. Avoid oil-based moisturisers, as they clog pores in oily skins. The sunscreen will help in preventing exposure to harsh UV rays that may cause sunburns, which stimulate oil production in the skin.
2. Use Face Wash
Wash your face in the morning as well as evening with a face wash. Avoid using a medicated face wash. Always use a creamy face wash, as it will be gentle and keep your skin moisture intact, helping you get rid of dry skin.
Best Skin Care in Winter Home Remedies
For skin care in winter, home remedies are often more effective than industrially manufactured products. They are much safer too and free of side effects, apart from being cost-friendly and easily available. Some of these natural ingredients to add to your winter skin care routine are as follow:
- Water: Upping your intake of water helps in keeping the skin well-hydrated and prevents skin dryness in winter.
- Curd or yoghurt: Curd is rich in lactic acid, which helps in the hydration of the skin. When you mix other ingredients into it, such as honey, and apply it to your face, you get amazing results.
- Raw milk: Like curd, raw milk is a wonderful skin toner because of its rich content of antioxidants and lactic acid. It helps in hydration and gives a healthy glow to your skin. The effectiveness of raw milk multiplies manifold when you add other ingredients and churn them together into a paste. These ingredients include bananas, honey, cucumber, aloe vera, egg whites, almond oil, etc.
- Bananas: A banana face pack helps in relieving dryness. You can add other natural ingredients to your winter skin care schedule if you wish. You can also rub the inside part of banana peels on your face.
- Cucumber: Because of its rich water content, cucumber is one of the most effective remedies for skin care in winter. It is good for all skin types. You can eat it or apply it to your face.
- Aloe vera: This is a much-talked-about and widely used product in the winter skin care routine. Aloe vera gel is non-greasy and a wonderful skin moisturiser. It prevents many skin disorders such as acne.
- Eggs and honey face pack: Eggs and honey are one of the oldest winter skin care remedies. They work as natural moisturisers.
- Almond oil: Almond oil gives your skin the nourishment it needs to be healthy, helping you get rid of skin dryness in winter. For best results, always rub it on your face at night and wash it off the following morning.
Conclusion
The harsh impact of winter on our skin is not in our control. But doing something to prevent it is. By following a regular winter skin care routine, our skin can remain healthy and soft in winters too. Following some useful tips on winter skin care will do wonders for our skin. Wherever possible, try home remedies and do not compromise on your water intake.
Winter skin care is important for all skin types, dry, normal, and oily. No one should ignore it. We hope you found this article interesting. We look forward to reading your comments.
