e.l.f. Discovery
Winter Skin Care: Best Practices for Avoiding Dry Skin
‘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 Skin 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.
Add a Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm to Your Skincare Routine
The Holy Hydration Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm is a game-changer in your nighttime skincare routine. This cleansing balm effortlessly melts away makeup, sunscreen, and impurities, leaving your skin feeling clean and hydrated. Removing makeup before bed is crucial for maintaining healthy skin, as it helps to prevent clogged pores, reduces the risk of breakouts, and allows your skin to breathe overnight.
By using this cleansing balm, you're not only removing makeup but also prepping your skin for the next steps in your skincare routine. The gentle yet effective formula helps to soften and nourish the skin, making it more receptive to the moisturizing products that follow. This creates the perfect canvas for serums, treatments, and moisturizers to possibly work more effectively.
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 serum, helps 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 Gel-Based Moisturizer to Your Routine
The Holy Hydration! Gel-Yeah Moisturizer is a gel-based face moisturizer that's perfect for lightly hydrating skin during winter. This holy grail product helps moisturize and plump the skin. Its lightweight, non-greasy formula absorbs quickly, making it ideal for layering under makeup.
The gel-based texture is especially beneficial in winter as it helps to provide hydration without feeling heavy on the skin. It helps combat dryness and flakiness often experienced in colder months, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth, and nourished. Plus, it's suitable for most skin types making it a versatile addition to any winter skincare routine.
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 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!
Frequently Asked Questions about Dry Skin:
Q: How to Stop Skin Drying Out in the Winter?
A: Winter can be harsh on your skin, but there are several ways to combat dryness and keep your skin healthy and hydrated. To prevent dry skin during the colder months, it's essential to adjust your skincare routine. Start by using a gentle, daily face cleanser that won't strip your skin of its natural oils. Then, focus on adding moisturizing and hydrating products to your regimen. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides, which help attract and retain moisture in the skin.
Q: Why Is My Skin So Dry in the Winter?
A: During the winter season, many people experience drier skin due to a combination of environmental factors. Cold temperatures and low humidity levels outside can strip moisture from the skin. This harsh environment can disrupt the skin's natural protective barrier, making it more susceptible to dryness, flakiness, and irritation. These factors combined create a perfect storm for dehydrated skin, making it crucial to adapt your skincare routine to combat these winter-specific challenges and maintain healthy, hydrated skin throughout the colder months.
Q: How Do You Improve Dry Skin?
A: Improving dry skin can be achieved by incorporating hydrating skincare products into both your morning and nighttime routines. In the morning, start with a gentle, hydrating cleanser followed by a lightweight face serum that contains hyaluronic acid to help attract moisture to your skin. Apply a nourishing face cream to help lock in hydration. Don't forget to finish with a broad-spectrum sunscreen. At night, after cleansing, use a hydrating toner or essence to prep your skin, then layer on a facial oil if needed. Follow with a rich night cream or sleeping mask to help hydrate your skin while you sleep.