Your Cold Weather Skin Stitches Solved!
Wintertime calls for a shower of snow, a cup of hot cocoa, and...a complexion catastrophe?! The change to cold weather this season causes a facial frenzy due to sudden dehydration, flakiness, acne, and other issues that seem impossible to remedy. However, there are some simple tweaks that you can make to your beauty regimen these next few months that will ensure your countenance will be looking as hydrated and glowy as ever.
Wear sunscreen, even though it’s not hot outside. Although the sun may not be shining as brightly as it was during the summer, sunscreen is still a crucial part of taking care of your skin. Katrina D’Onofrio--celebrity makeup artist and owner of Makeup by Katrina NYC--asserts that “you should never leave the house without SPF in your foundation or facial creams.” “TarteGuard SPF 30 is great to use along with your favorite facial cream in the morning,” she recommends.
Moisturize every morning and night--no exceptions. Especially in cold weather conditions, where the skin gets dehydrated very easily, it is crucial to nourish your complexion as much as possible. Certified Makeup Artist Faith Scott stresses just how important it is to moisturize twice a day: “It is so imperative because taking hot showers and using bar soaps every day dries out your skin.” To avoid dryness caused by bar soaps, try using natural goat soaps, which keep skin nourished and hydrated sans removing the natural fats in the skin barrier.
Treat yourself to a nourishing sheet mask once or twice a week. There’s no need to blow your holiday shopping budget on a spa visit when an affordable, disposable sheet mask can work wonders. Define what exactly your skin needs (firming ingredients, extra moisture, etc.) and buy a product based off of that. “Masks are very important if you are looking to cleanse, nourish, repair, and/or exfoliate your skin,” says D’Onofrio. Her number one recommendation? “I love to use sheet masks from Patchology. They have one for every skin type!”
Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells. Although some people need to exfoliate their skin more than others, it’s especially important in the wintertime in order to fight back against flaky skin. That being said, there are a few reminders to take heed of. “Never use body exfoliating products on your face,” warns D’Onofrio. “The ingredients and granules in body scrubs can be too abrasive for the face and can actually cause damage instead of helping you.” Additionally, Scott says that people with sensitive skin or Rosacea have to be extra careful with exfoliation: “You don’t want to scrub too hard or too often because it will keep the redness prominent.”
Use Vaseline or beeswax/glycerin products to protect your skin from windburn. If you happen to get windburn after stepping out in severe cold weather conditions, it’s crucial to give extra attention to your skin in order to undo the damage. “When washing your face, you should use a creamy cleanser instead of a gel or water-based one,” says Scott. “Use a thick moisturizer up to four times a day along with vaseline, beeswax, and glycerin products to protect and heal your complexion.”
Wear gloves when you step outside. Halloween is over already, so why suffer from witch hands?! “Cold weather starts to make your hands chapped and cracked, but wearing gloves helps retain their moisture,” Scott assures. If wearing gloves isn’t your cup of tea, D’Onofrio proposes another option: “Rubbing excess anti-aging cream and SPF on top of my hands when I go outside helps prevent them from aging and long-term sun damage.” Yep, the sun is always a skin concern, even in the cold.
Put a humidifier in your bedroom. This device may not be as cheap as a small bottle of hand cream, but it certainly does justice in putting moisture into the air. “A humidifier is wonderful in helping keep your skin hydrated,” D’Onofrio confirms. To further boost skin nourishment, make sure you also put on hand cream every night before you go to bed while your humidifier is on. “‘Confidence in a Cream’ by It Cosmetics is great for both the morning and evening,” says Donofrio.
Avoid cleansers, toners, and peels with alcohol in them. Using products with that specific ingredient will only worsen the condition of your dry skin. Scott advises to especially avoid using any harsh skincare items with isopropyl alcohol. “Isopropyl alcohol dries out your skin and will leave you feeling like your face is going to crack,” she explains. However, Scott guarantees there are some alcohols that are safe to use under winter weather conditions: “Fatty alcohols such as cetyl and cetostearyl alcohol are okay to put on your skin in the cold weather.”