Cold weather and harsh winds can bring on some unwanted effects on your skin. And these effects aren’t exclusive to just one skin type. Dry skin types may experience the drying effects of a cold winter even more than any other skin type but that doesn’t exempt other skin types from winter’s drying effects. 

Winter can bring with it changes in humidity and environment that can alter the look and feel of the skin if you don’t take proper care of your skin. Typically this weather leads to some dry, cracked skin (thanks to the harsh cold and winds) which in turns contributes to the skin looking a little more dull. And how does one keep up the glass skin look in this kind of weather??

First off, it helps to know what winter does to your skin to know what you can do to combat it. 

How does winter affect your skin?

So, we know that winter brings with it strong winds, low humidity, and the cold. These factors contribute to drier skin because of the lack of moisture in the air which the harsh winds can help make worse. And on top of that moisture seems to evaporate faster from the skin during winter as well. All these factors can strip the skin of its natural oils, further contributing to dryness in the skin. 

The lack of moisture in the skin can impact the function of the skin barrier. The skin barrier protects the skin from irritants like UV rays and pollution, keeps the skin hydrated, and protects from TEWL (transepidermal water loss). So if it is in a compromised position, the skin can become more susceptible to things like redness, irritation, and breakouts. 

What to avoid in your skincare routine: 

Over-cleansing & over-exfoliating 

When your skin is experiencing dryness, you should only cleanse the skin when necessary. So if you wear makeup, then yes you should still cleanse the skin at the end of the day. But, you probably won’t need to again in the morning. Washing your face with just water can be sufficient.  

The same goes for exfoliating. If you tend to exfoliate in your routine, you may need to cut back on the amount of time you exfoliate in the week if your skin is experiencing dryness and irritation. If you continue to exfoliate as you would regularly while your skin is going through a bout of dryness, then you could make the dryness and irritation even worse. The drying effects of some exfoliants will only contribute to further stripping the skin and weakening the barrier. 

Skipping out on moisturizer 

If you have oily skin, you may sometimes feel like you can skip out on moisturizer because you feel like your skin has enough moisture. But, as stated above, winter weather can strip the skin of much needed moisture. Keeping the skin hydrated during the winter is vital to keep your barrier functioning as it should. 

Using super hot water 

To be honest this is not a tip that is exclusive to winter. You should generally not be taking super hot showers since it dries out the skin regardless of the weather. But, especially during winter when your skin may already be getting dried out from the weather, you should definitely try to scale back on the really hot showers. 

A simple winter skincare routine

Your winter skincare routine doesn’t necessarily have to be extensive, but you may need to tweak some things from your regular routine:

Step 1: Gentle Cleanse 

If your skin experiences dryness during winter you can cut back on cleansing twice a day to once a day (to remove makeup and spf at the end of the day). A gentle milky cleanser may also help to prevent stripping the skin of its natural oils. 

Step 2: Gentle Exfoliant

While you don’t have to get rid of your exfoliating step in your normal routine, you may want to opt for a gentle exfoliant or cut back on how often you exfoliate. For example, our Pore Serum contains a low concentration of Salicylic Acid and has added barrier-friendly ingredients like Allantoin to help exfoliate without drying out the skin. 

Step 3: Hydrating boost 

With dry skin and a compromised barrier, consider adding a hydrating boost. This could be a serum, essence, or even a face mask to moisturize and soothe the skin. Look for products with hydrating, nourishing ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Ceramides, Panthenol, and Aloe. 

Step 4: Moisturize

Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. Yes, even oily skin types need to keep the skin hydrated during winter. Moisturizer can really help replenish the moisture you lose from winter weather effects and strengthen the skin barrier to help keep your skin looking healthy. 

Our Barrier Support Moisturizer is made with barrier-boosting ingredients like Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid to help bring back moisture to the skin and keep the barrier happy. It’s also a mix between a gel and cream so it's great for oily, combo, and acne-prone skin types. 

Step 5: Sunscreen 

Never forget to apply sunscreen. Unless you live in parts of the world where the sun is completely hidden during winter, then you may need to still apply sunscreen, especially when the sun is out and shining. 

Lastly… 

If your skin’s reaction is really intense to the harsh winter effects, then you may need to adopt an even more stripped down routine that focuses on repairing your skin barrier. This means gentle cleansers and staying away from your exfoliants and retinoids for a while as your skin barrier gets back to normal.