Cold, dry air can make your skin irritated. Fortunately, there are ways to fight dry skin in the winter and keep it smooth and healthy all season long.
In this article, we present 10 approved winter skincare tips, including skin care routine for 30s and skin care routine for 40s. We suggest you read the entire article, but here are the main points we’ll cover: To protect your skin from winter’s harsh conditions, consider these 10 skincare tips recommended by Dr. Husienzad, a dermatologist in Bryn Mawr.
What Happens to Your Skin in Winter? In winter, our skin’s essential protein, filaggrin, which helps maintain the skin’s protective barrier and natural moisture, decreases. This decrease is also influenced by age and hormonal changes, including skin care routines for 50s. Combine this with the cold, dry weather, low humidity, and indoor heating, and it results in dry skin and worsening skin issues for many.
5 Common Winter Skin Issues Maintaining skin moisture is vital to keeping your skin healthy during winter, as well as maintaining a summer skin care routine. With the cold air, strong winter winds, and dry indoor heat, skin problems can worsen. Here are five common winter skin issues that can be aggravated during the season:
- Eczema is a common condition that affects over 31 million Americans. It leads to inflamed, red, itchy skin patches and is caused by a mix of immune system activity, environmental triggers, and stress. Cold, dry weather can trigger eczema flares in winter.
- Psoriasis is a long-lasting condition that causes red, itchy, scaly skin patches. These patches flare up for a few weeks or months before improving. The most common areas affected are the knees, elbows, trunk, and scalp. While there’s no cure for psoriasis, your dermatologist can create a treatment plan to help manage it. Cold weather and reduced sunlight can worsen psoriasis in winter.
- Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes facial redness and flushing, affecting both the face and eyes. It can flare up for weeks or months before improving. If left untreated, rosacea can lead to permanent skin and eye damage. Cold weather often triggers flare-ups.
- Keratosis Pilaris, known as “Chicken Skin,” is a common, harmless condition resulting in dry, rough patches and tiny bumps on the skin. These bumps, which are skin-colored or reddish, often appear on the arms, legs, or buttocks. They tend to be more noticeable when the skin is dry, such as in winter.
- Raynaud’s disease affects 5 to 10% of Americans and occurs when blood vessels in the fingers and toes spasm in response to cold, stress, or emotional distress. This leads to reduced blood flow, causing fingers and toes to become cold, white, and numb. It can be problematic during winter.
The Importance of Winter Skin Care
You don’t need a big change in your skincare routine when it gets colder, but during winter, it’s essential to focus on products that hydrate more. This applies to both your morning skin care routine and your night skin care routine—choose products that keep your skin moisturized and avoid those that could dry it out.
Dr. Husienzad’s 10 Winter Skincare Tips
- Keep Your Skin Moisturized Use thick moisturizers with Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid, and Petrolatum to lock in moisture. Thicker creams work better than lighter lotions. Some good options are CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, and plain old Vaseline.
- Use Hydrating Cleansers In the winter, stay away from harsh face cleansers. If a cleanser leaves your skin feeling “squeaky clean,” it’s taking away your skin’s natural moisture. Use gentle, fragrance-free, hydrating cleansers for daily cleaning and makeup removal. Consider products like CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, BMD Gentle Cleanse, and LaRochePosayToleraine Hydrating Cleanser to keep your skin clean and hydrated.
- Show Love to Acne-Prone Skin in Winter Even if you have acne-prone skin, you should use hydrating, oil-free, fragrance-free moisturizers daily. Apply them on top of your topical acne treatments to prevent excessive dryness and peeling. Options like CeraVe Facial Moisturizer, Neutrogena HydroBoost Moisturizer, and BMD Moisture Lux moisturizer work well for acne-prone skin.
- Don’t Take Hot Showers Cold weather might make you crave long, hot showers, but hot water can dry out your skin even more. Limit your shower time to 15 minutes and use lukewarm water to keep your skin from getting irritated.
- Avoid Harsh Scrubs and Scented Products Loofahs, bath mitts, and scrubs can irritate dry skin and trigger eczema. If you have a history of eczema or dry skin, stay away from these and use unscented soaps and body washes like Dove Unscented Bar Soap, Cetaphil Cleanser, or Aveeno Body Wash.
