6 Things You Should Be Doing to Combat Dry Skin This Winter

Winter has officially settled in, which means one thing–chaos for our skin. The biting winds, freezing temperatures, and low humidity levels that winter brings sucks the moisture from our skin and impairs the lipid barrier that keeps it healthy and radiant. Here are six tips to help you protect your skin during sweater season!

1. Use a humidifier.

If my humidifier counted as a skincare product, it would be considered a holy grail.

While the winter air is already dry as it is, cranking up the heat and blasting our space heaters only drains more moisture from it. You might notice that in the winter, your sinuses act up, your skin struggles to stay moisturized, and your lips feel dry no matter how much chapstick you use.

Using a humidifier will help restore some of that lost moisture in the air, making it easier to combat dryness and irritation.

2. Winterize your skincare routine.

Depending on your skin type, heavy creams, oils, and occlusives might be overkill in the humid summer months, but in the winter, your skin will love you for them.

I am a huge advocate for hydration-based skincare routines, regardless of skin type. Everything in my routine, besides my acids and actives, targets hydration. I’ll go in-depth on hydration versus moisture and why I’m not a fan of products marketed for “oily skin” in another post.

Switch out your gel-based moisturizers for heavier cream-based ones, add a hyaluronic acid serum and a moisturizing oil to your routine, and at night, seal it all in with an occlusive. If you’re feeling particularly dry, you might benefit from a hydrating sleeping mask. Check out some of the products you’ll never catch me without below.

• Cerave Moisturizing Cream (moisture)

• The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum (hydration)

• Biossance Squalane + Tea Tree Balancing Oil (moisture)

• Cerave Healing Ointment (moisture)

• Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (hydration)

3. Avoid harsh cleansers.

Try switching out your foaming cleansers for gentler alternatives when the temperature starts to drop. Creamier cleansers, like Cerave’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser, or cleansers with hydrating, humectant ingredients such as honey, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid, won’t completely strip your skin of its essential natural oils.

I’d also recommend ditching your bar soaps, if you use them. They’re super dehydrating, as the binding agents in them that keep all the ingredients in a “bar” are naturally alkaline. Our skin is acidic–it’s happiest at a pH of around 4 to 6.

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

I’m sure this is a given lol, but don’t slack on your water intake just because you aren’t hot and sweaty every day. Our body’s thirst response tends to diminish in the winter, putting us at an even higher risk for dehydration than in the warmer months–crazy, right?

This, coupled with frigid, dry air (and artificial hot air–space heater lovers, I’m looking at you *stares at self in mirror*), can be a disaster for your moisture barrier. Increase your water intake and cut back on diuretics such as coffee and alcohol, which can contribute to dehydration.

5. Don’t neglect your body.

Who has that friend who puts their clothes on first, then hits the parts of body that are showing with a quick swipe of lotion? Do you exfoliate? Moisturize every time you shower?

So often, we forget that the skin on our body needs to be nurtured, too. I prefer heavy creams, body butters, and oils over lotion year-round, but during the colder months, it’s especially important to buckle down on locking in moisture for your body just as you would for your face.

If you don’t already, start exfoliating! Dry brushing, exfoliation gloves, body scrubs (key word: body. Don’t let me catch you using scrubs on your face!), and chemical exfoliants are all great methods. Nécessaire has an amazing product line-up for the body, that I’m currently obsessing over (review coming soon!). You know what they say… summer bodies are made in the winter–glow included.

6. Use a hydrating mist throughout the day.

Face mists are my best friend. For real.

When I was recovering my damaged moisture barrier and struggling with dry, flaky patches every day, I’d carry my Heritage Store Rosewater Facial Toner with me in a little mist bottle. This bad boy is packed with heavy hitters–glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and of course, rosewater–wow, I’m falling in love all over again lol.

Misting is great for a splash of on-the-go hydration, which you can’t get too much of when the air is cold and dry. While I love the Heritage Store rosewater for its simple yet effective ingredient list (I’ve used it as a toner too!), there are tons of facial mists on the market to choose from.

The winter months can be rough, but it doesn’t have to show through your skin. Let me know how you protect your skin when it’s cold out!