Before I talk about how you can treat dry winter skin, I want to start of by talking about the difference between dry and dehydrated skin. Yes, those are two completely different things. I was recently informed about it through my esthetician.
Dryness or Dry Skin= is a Skin Type while Dehydrated Skin= is a Skin Condition.
ANY skin type can have dehydrated skin, even oily skin can be dehydrated. The main difference is dehydrated skin lacks water and dry skin lacks oil.
Have you ever experienced redness, acne flare up under your skin, congestion, dullness with your skin? You might think using a lot of moisturizer will help you to get rid of that flakiness and dryness, but these the signs of dehydrated skin and not necessarily dry skin.
I will get later into the product that will help you to combat dry winter skin, but I first want you to make sure your skin is not dehydrated.
So what causes dehydrated skin?
- over washing and over exfoliating your face
- weather, cold air in Winter lacks humidity so that can cause dehydration
- The obvious, not drinking enough water and drinking a lot of sodas, alcohol, caffeine
In winter, all of us need hydrating products rather than just moisturizing products. Even if you have oily skin, you need to include some kind of a hydrating product in your skincare routine. Hydrating products works for all skin types because these products penetrate deep into your skin and provide that moisture that your skin needs. Builds that skin barrier, which can combat cold wins and drier air.
Reasons to use a Hydrator to fight Winter Skin:
- Plumps skin
- Balances the PH levels of the skin
- Helps with product absorption. So lets say if you use a Vitamin C Serum or a Retinol in your skincare routine- using a hydrator right after cleansing will really help the Vitamin C serum to absorb deep into your skin layers.
Here are the products that I love to include in my Winter skincare routine to fight the dry skin:
All these products contain Ceramides and humectants. Ceramides help hold skin together by forming a protective layer that limits moisture loss and protects against visible damage from pollution and other environmental stressors. Humectants like Glycerin, are substances that absorb water from the air or underlying layers of the skin and draw those molecules toward the surface of the skin. This allows the skin to retain moisture and may also help other topical skincare ingredients to perform better.
Btw, one hack I have to check the ingredients in your skincare products: the site Paula’s choice, has a whole list of the ingredients that are the most used in skincare products. The site also rates it as good and bad. So, if you are ever purchasing a skincare product and want to know about the ingredients definitely check this out here.
Another thing in winter to avoid is, over exfoliating your skin. Exfoliating is important, but over exfoliating, by using a physical exfoliator and then using the chemical exfoliation the same day. This will dehydrate your skin. Make sure, you give your skin some time in between the exfoliating products.
Cleansers for Winter Skin
Exfoliator
Toner/Essence
Serums to fight off Dry Winter Skin
Moisturizers
I have a full post dedicated to the brand Skinfix, because its that good. I haven’t found a product from them that I don’t like. You can read all about this clean skincare brand here.
In the upcoming months, I will for sure share the body care for winter, so make sure you subscribe to the blog.
