Cold weather can do a number on anyone’s skin, leaving it extra dry or even chapped. Help protect your skin against the elements with winter skincare tips you can start implementing now.
9 Winter Skincare Tips to Start Practicing Now
1. Turn down the hot showers.
Steamy showers may feel great after being outside in the cold, but hot water actually strips the skin of its natural moisture. In other words, it’s one of the worst offenders for dry winter skin. Instead, turn down the water to a lukewarm temperature, and keep your showers limited to five or 10 minutes max. While you’re at it, use an ultra-hydrating body wash that supports the skin’s moisture barrier.
2. Switch to a heavier moisturizer.
Parched winter skin needs a richer moisturizer than you’d use in the summer months. We recommend applying liberally after you shower to lock moisture in all day long.
Try: Revitalizing Oils Moisturizer
3. Reapply moisturizer throughout the day.
One of the best ways to nurture dry, flaky skin is by moisturizing morning and night. When you wake up, apply a face moisturizer followed by a body cream — and then repeat those steps before you go to bed.
Try: Jojoba & Sweet Almond Body Oil Spray
4. Skip your morning wash.
Cleansing is an essential skincare step, but you can get too much of a good thing. Limit your daily face washing to once at night, skipping your morning wash altogether to prevent stripping the skin of its natural oils. It’s also important to use a daily cleanser that’s more gentle and hydrating in general — particularly one with high levels of essential fatty acids to help support the skin’s natural moisture barrier.
Try: Creamy Oil Cleanser
5. Don’t over-exfoliate.
Harsh, abrasive scrubs can easily irritate winter skin, so you’ll want to exfoliate with care. Use a gentle exfoliator once each week to buff away dead skin without harming the skin in the process. Not only will weekly exfoliation help your skin look and feel better, but it also helps your skincare products absorb more efficiently — a total win-win.
Try: Gentle Stimulating Facial Scrub or Hydrating Sugar Body Scrub
6. Humidify your home.
Cranking up the heat in your house is a good way to stay cozy on chilly days, but all that warm air can leave your skin feeling extra parched. Fortunately, humidifiers increase moisture levels in the air, which in turn helps your skin. Place one in your bedroom to boost hydration as you sleep.
7. Moisturize from head to toe.
When it comes to moisturizing your body, it’s important not to overlook your lips, hands and feet. Keep your extremities soft and hydrated during extreme winter weather by using a hand cream and foot cream morning and night, and apply lip balm as needed to prevent chapped lips.
Try: Perfect Pistachio Foot Repair Cream, Pumpkin Spice Hand Repair Cream or Lip Rescue Ultra Hydrating — Shea Butter
8. Go heavy on the H20.
Drinking enough water is a must for keeping your skin properly hydrated, and it even helps to support skin cell regeneration for a healthy-looking glow. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses per day to keep your skin looking and feeling its best.
9. Soothe parched skin with aloe.
While most people associate aloe with summertime sunburns, it’s actually ideal to use year-round. What is aloe good for, and is aloe vera a good moisturizer? At Desert Essence, we use aloe in so many of our products thanks to its unique ability to soothe irritated skin while sealing in hydration. Use it daily to give dry, chapped skin the TLC it craves.