Dry skin in the winter is inevitable. Colder temps outside, less humidity in the air, and the use of indoor heating all contribute to drier skin. Whether you’re in California or Alaska, we all need to take the proper precautions to protect our skin from the harsh elements of winter, even if you get sunshine and 80 degrees in January (lookin at you, my SoCal girlfriends in your Ugg boots thinking it’s cold, you freaks).
I don’t know about you but when we get a break in the rain, I am always outside for a brisk walk and my skin gets so red, dry, and irritated that I immediately want to slap on all the moisture. But there are a few things we can all do to protect our faces (and necks, hands and lips!) to help fight the elements!
This one is critical but tricky. Exfoliate too much and you get irritated even more. But if you don’t exfoliate enough, you’ll have rough, dead skin on your face. Nasty. Some say all you need is warm water and a washcloth 1-3x per week (MAX!) to properly exfoliate. Be careful with loafas, though. They, for one, can hold a lot of bacteria if they aren’t cleaned and you could be doing more harm than good.. and sometimes, they are just too rough for your face. So when it comes to loafas, I say DITCH IT. My husband used to have one hanging in the shower at all times and one day, I made it disappear. “Where did my loafa go?” Unsure. But gross, just use soap bro. I digress.. back to exfoliants. For me, I want a gentle exfoliant that also cleanses and gets deep in my pores. I don’t find a washcloth ENOUGH.. but that’s me. I love this exfoliant twice a week.. doesn’t matter what time of day.. but I usually do it in the shower.
A mistake you could be making is not moisturizing upon IMMEDIATELY exiting the shower. You should slap that moisture on within 2 minutes of getting out. So wipe your face with your microfiber towels (you know, the ones that are ONLY FOR YOUR FACE), put any serum on that you typically wear and then your moisturizer. I love love love Drunk Elephant Protini any time of year but especially in the winter months. It doesn’t leave any residue, soaks in beautifully, and is light as a feather. Mix a little Marula Oil in with your moisturizer for added benefits and glow (but be careful if you’re prone to breakouts. Oil can have adverse effects for those prone to acne).
Duh. No brainer. But these days, it’s so easy (TOO EASY) to go from coffee to wine and then wine to coffee without hydrating in between. I find myself sipping on coffee throughout the day, sometimes I get a Diet Coke in the afternoon, then it’s on to that glass of red while I cook dinner. Wait, where did my water intake go? No bueno. My goal ANY time of year is to drink 2 40oz Hydroflasks in a day.. that’s 80oz total. And when we do a water challenge, it’s 3 Hydroflasks.. phew! Get that water in.. your skin will thank you.
What? In the Winter. YES. In fact, you should be wearing it all year round even if you can’t see the sun (like us here in Seattle). So after you get out of the shower and moisturize, make sure you are applying a full spectrum sunscreen to further protect your skin from the harsh winter elements. I have a few favorites: one (tinted) | two | three | four
DON’T FORGET: NECK, HANDS, & LIPS!
CRITICAL!! Your face is the money-maker, I get it. But your neck, hands and lips play an important role too. No one needs crepey hands or a gobble neck. Take those products from the face to the neck to the chest ALWAYS. I know it’s expensive stuff but these areas as equally as exposed to the sun and dry weather. Laneige is a great mask for your lips at night but make sure you’re using something with protective antioxidants during the day. As for your hands, Alix and I both use and love this hand screen.
Don’t forget about your babies and kids skin, too! This is where a very common household item comes in handy (and inexpensive). Coconut oil is seriously the best remedy for dry skin and safe to use on babies. Pretty sure coconut oil is the cure for mostly anything in this world so lather up after those baths 🙂
Cheers to healthy, glowing, and hydrated skin in 2021.
xo, Heather
