Why is My Skin So Dry in the Winter?
If you have ever experienced an Idaho winter, you'll know that it gets extremely dry. Not only do we feel it from our nose to our toes, our hands can experience cracking and bleeding from washing frequently and keeping away the germs. Our face is exposed to the outer elements throughout the year. So even though the lack of humidity occurs all year round, you may be wondering why it's extra bad in the winter.
The main culprit is not the lack of humidity, the fewer hours of daylight, or even the colder temperatures. Have you guessed it yet? The answer is the forced hot air to keep us warm! Since we can't live in igloos from November through February (or even October through March), here are some options to help ease the dry skin woes.
One of the main things you can do is to BEEF UP your skin care routine. In addition to daily cleansing, misting, and moisturizing, you may want to add in one or more of the following: Hydrating Mask, Daily Ceramide Comfort, Double up the Moisturizer by adding in a Serum, or a Night Cream.
Hydrating Mask
A hydrating mask can be for any type of skin. Instead of focusing on the lack of oil, these will generally focus on the lack of water in the skin. Masking is one of the easiest way to help the skin with a big impact. When you mask, you will apply it on the face and then wait 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and wipe dry with a cloth and add your finishing touches. I recommend that you use a mask 2 to 3 times a week to see the best results. If you skin starts feeling bad normally in November, you'll want to increase what you are doing in October. Don't wait until your skin is super bad to start or it will take longer to see the results.
Daily Ceramide Comfort
This tiny little gold nugget has been a lifesaver for my clients. Generally, I have my clients use them as a boost to their skin once a week, but as shown in the name, you can use these daily. Again, start early and use them at night. These not only feel amazing, they really do wonders for the face and are for all skin types. This product is considered a 911 product and is an antioxidant while nourishing and protecting the skin from the elements.
A serum!
Did you know that serums are a smaller molecular weight, meaning they can go deeper into the skin? I love using a serum because I know what I'm applying to my skin is sinking in and working below the dead skin cells. Choosing on that has hyaluronic acid is a sure bet, because that ingredient holds it weight 1,000 times of water.
Night cream
Inherently, a night cream is thicker and creamier than something you wear during the day. Our skin is on a circadian rhythm, so it heals and repairs at night. That's why many product lines include a night cream. A moisturizer that aids in the healing and repairing process will definitely help your skin in the winter. It's important to note that some of the night creams may be too heavy to wear for those that are prone to acne.
In addition to products, there are a couple more things that might be able to help your skin in the frigid temperatures. My favorites include drinking water, vitamin c, limiting hot baths, and increasing the humidity.
Drink Up!
Water is very important for our skin and other vital organs. In the spring and summer, our body gives us more signals letting us know that we are hot and we literally feel thirsty. It almost screams to hand over the biggest glass of ice water! Our body still needs that same amount of water in the water, but we don't get the same cue. Carry around your favorite water bottle to make sure you are rehydrating your cells throughout the day.
Vitamin C
There are many dietary changes that you can make for your skin, but this is one of my favorites. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which means it helps to protect the skin from UV rays and other outside elements. It can help tighten the skin's barrier which helps to keep the good stuff (moisture barrier, lipids, and more) in the skin and repels the bad stuff like free radicals.
Limit hot baths
Okay, okay! I'm guilty as charged. This girl right here LOVES a good, hot bath. Sometimes more than once a day! But the hot baths can increase dehydration at a rapid pace. Without drinking as much as we should, this definitely can aid in the dryness of your skin cells.
Add in some humidity
The forced hot air is something we can't really change, but we can add the humidity in the air by using a humidifier. Humidifier emit water vapor or steam into the air which increases the air's humidity. The mountain west is always dry, so this is something that you could do all year round if you wanted to.
In case you need a recap, your dry skin is most likely due to the forced heat in the winter. During this time, step up your skin care game about a month before you typically feel dry, drink water everyday even when you don't feel thirsty, make sure that you are adding vitamin c into your diet, limit hot baths, and increase the humidity by using a humidifier.
Don't forget to
Breathe. Let Go. Relax.
Zoey Jolley, LE