e.l.f. Discovery

5 WAYS TO HELP COMBAT DRY WINTER SKIN

By Aimee Lubrano

‘Tis the season of marshmallow worlds, cozy gatherings, and crackling fires. Ah, winter. What’s not to love? Cold air outside. Dry heat inside. Harsh winds that leave you with dull, itchy, dry skin. Winter may have its frosty allure, but when the temperature dips, the seasons aren’t the only things that change. So does your skin—and how you care for it should change, too.

Adding a thicker moisturizing cream may be your go-to move or first instinct, but that alone won’t be enough to battle against the chill factor and drier climate. Winter weather has colder temperatures, brisk winds, lower humidity and limited sun exposure reducing the skin’s ability to produce Vitamin D. That coupled with hot showers that strip the skin of natural oils and moisture are a perfect recipe for disaster – especially if you already struggle with already dry or sensitive skin. Cold, winter months are brimming with dry air, which means the drier the air, the drier your skin can become. But cold, bitter temperatures don’t have to wreak havoc on your skin.

Luckily, a moisture-rich skincare squad with a hydration-friendly daily routine is the perfect cure to combat dry skin this winter for the long haul and restore a more hydrated, glowing complexion to get you through the season’s shorter days.

Glow Better With Gentle Exfoliation

You can apply all the hydrating skincare you want during the harsh winter months. But unless you exfoliate first to buff away dead skin cells from the surface, your dry skin will linger. The first step to combat, soothe, and revive dry, winter skin is gentle exfoliation. Over-exfoliating can actually worsen dryness. Aim for regular weekly exfoliation 2-3 times per week. But make sure to choose a non-abrasive exfoliant like the Allure Best Beauty Award Winner Gentle Peeling Exfoliant. Packed with Papaya Extract, this gentle formula is powerful enough to shed layers of dry skin buildup, while its nourishing liquid formula with tangerine and licorice root extracts soothes, brightens and evens out skin tone. Gentle enough for normal, dry, and combination skin types. it will help keep your skin looking smooth and vibrant.

Regular exfoliation with a gentle formula will prep the skin, allowing moisture-rich ingredients to penetrate, and fully absorb all of the hydration and nourishment winter skin desperately needs. But if you experience raw, cracked or even severe dry skin, you may want to skip exfoliation all together.

Mist Your Dry Skin Goodbye with a Hydrating Face Mist

With one quick spritz, you can bring a burst of summer back to your face this winter. As the temperature drops, our winter skin craves that extra boost. Lightweight and nourishing, face mists are a perfect on-the-go option to rejuvenate skin and refresh hydration at any point throughout the day. After washing your face with a gentle, hydrating cleanser, try to incorporate a hydrating face mist like the vitamin-infused Hydrating Coconut Mist to your winter skincare routine. Dewy, hydrating and soothing, this pick-me-up provides the perfect amount of moisture and radiance to your dull, dry, tired-looking skin. Its thirst-quenching formula made with ingredients like Coconut Oil, plus Vitamins B5 & E, this ultra-hydrating face mist has an invigorating coconut scent for an energetic boost. Use it in the morning, before or after makeup application, during the day or even at night to awaken skin or for a quick refresh, and your revitalized skin will surely be the main attraction all winter.

Slay Dry Skin with a Hydrating Serum

During the harsh winter months, a hydrating serum can become your skin savior! With less moisture in the air, serums are winter’s skincare essentials and best moisturizer for dry skin, providing soft, supple, smoother-looking skin. Think of hydrating serums as a perfect pair of snuggly socks keeping you warm and toasty. That’s precisely what they do for your skin’s hydration. A potent moisturizer for dry skin, Hydrating Face Serums, help the skin to lock in moisture, providing it with some of the most nourishing ingredients like vitamin E plus grapeseed and jojoba oils, shea butter, and aloe. Compared to traditional moisturizers, hydrating serums can offer additional topical nutrition and deeper penetration of skin-loving ingredients that moisturizers cannot. After using a gentle cleanser, serums can help calm dryness and irritation, plus deliver a first hit of thirst-quenching hydration your skin needs to survive the winter wear.

Add a Thick Moisturizing Cream to Your Routine

Whether you have normal, dry or combination skin, one of the most significant tools you can add to your daily skincare routine this winter is a thick moisturizing cream. We’re not talking about traditional lotions and moisturizers. For dry, winter skin trying to survive the abrasive conditions it faces each day, you need to bring in the big guns – a decadent, thicker cream with significant hydration capabilities. The Nourishing Night Cream works while you sleep so you can enjoy a dewy, radiant and totally glowing complexion.

This luxe cream infused with naturally hydrating ingredients like jojoba oil plus shea butter and cucumber extract is, dare we say, the best moisturizer for dry skin and one of the most hydrating skincare products you can use in winter. But we don’t leave you high and dry during the day either. Our lighter, moisturizing face cream continues to replenish hydration all day long giving you supple, smoother, softer skin. Skin slay!

Seal The Deal With a Hydrating Lip Mask

One of the most exposed, yet overlooked and forgotten parts of our face during the harsh winter months is our pout! Enter lip masks to the rescue! Cold air and indoor heating are notorious for damaging the delicate skin on our lips. That’s why we love slathering our lips with a hydrating lip mask. Not only does it hydrate and moisturize, but it conditions and soothes dry, winter-worn lips. This non-greasy, leave-on hydrating lip mask melts onto lips, delivering hydration and is infused with castor seed oil plus hyaluronic acid and squalene, leaving you with a non-sticky finish and silky, soft, smoother lips. Getting rid of dry lips has never been easier. You can use it alone during the day or overnight as you sleep – just apply a generous amount with a finger or lip brush onto clean, dry lips with a finger or lip brush. Or, you can use it under or over other lip products. Either way, it’ll be time to pucker up!