The Skincare Adjustments You Should Be Making As Temperatures Drop
All seasons are not created equal.
Written by Katie Teas
As the warm rays of summertime become a distant memory, many parts of the world begin to experience drastic temperature changes. With fewer hours of daylight and drier air, our skin is often affected by these changes in weather. Dryness, flakiness, and redness are just a few of the many skin irritations brought on by seasonal changes. Aside from being aesthetically displeasing, these winter ailments can even become painful or itchy.
Your summer routine likely won’t cut it for the colder seasons, where hydration is key and moisture reigns supreme. Here, we’ve compiled our top tips and tricks to bring back that Labor Day glow
1. Upgrade your moisturizer
Moisturizer is a crucial step in any skincare routine, yet one that is often overlooked. The common misconception that those with oily skin should fear using a daily moisturizer is completely inaccurate. In fact, neglecting to moisturize can actually make your skin more oily. This is because oil and hydration are not the same. When the skin becomes thirsty due to a lack of hydration, it may begin to produce even more oil in an attempt to accommodate. Hydrated skin is healthy skin, and has absolutely nothing to do with oil.
In many climates, winter months mean drier air -- and drier air means dull, chapped skin. This is the perfect time to upgrade your moisturizer, for oily and dry skin alike. Try a heavier moisturizing product such as a cream or nourishing face oil to lock in hydration and maintain a healthy, glowing complexion.
2. Try a hydrating cleanser
In the wintertime, it's important not to strip your skin of essential oils. Many clarifying products that work well for humid summer skin will result in dry, dehydrated skin as the weather begins to shift. The goal is to find a product that will effectively clean the skin without stripping its protective barrier, and there are plenty of hydrating cleansers on the market that strive to do just that.
Still worried about excessive moisture causing oiliness or breakouts? Look for products marked as non-comedogenic, a term for ingredients that should not clog pores.
3. Chill out in the shower
A hot shower or bath on a cold winter’s day is undeniably heavenly. However, it will only benefit your skin to resist the urge and tone down the temperature. Excessively hot water is known to irritate the skin and create a cracked, dry surface, especially when failing to moisturize post-bathing.
Don’t panic -- you don’t have to submit to a season of ice baths to perfect your complexion. You can still enjoy a warm shower on a chilly day, 100% guilt-free. If you just can’t give up scalding hot water, reduce the damage by keeping the bathroom door closed and using a full-body intensive moisturizer after drying.
4. Don’t slack on SPF
It may seem natural to relax your sunscreen regimen as we see less sunlight in the winter. However, this is not recommended. Though the days are shorter there is absolutely no difference in the sun’s harmful rays by season. It is just as important to maintain your SPF routine regardless of the weather.
One little known fact is that snow can actually reflect up to 90% of UV rays. This suggests that you may need more sunscreen on a day in the snow than on a day at the beach. Don’t skimp on your suncare routine as temperatures drop, and make sure to apply your favorite SPF to often-forgotten areas such as the hands and neck.
5. Lips count!
The largest organ of the human body, our skin, includes parts that we don’t always consider. Lips are highly affected by cold, dry weather, perhaps more than any other area of the skin. There is nothing fun about chapped, peeling lips, and winter weather is notorious for creating just that.
Be sure to carry a hydrating lip balm wherever you go to avoid that dreaded chapped pout. Look for naturally hydrating ingredients such as almond oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, and shea butter for maximum moisturizing power. Consider ditching matte lipsticks for creme or satin finish dupes as well to avoid unnecessary drying effects. Bonus: hydrated lips naturally appear plumper!
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