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Achieving radiant, glowing, hydrated skin can be tough in the heat of summer, but it’s next to impossible when you’re dealing with winter’s cold, dry air. Not only does the freezing winter air strip your skin of all hydration, but the artificial heat inside your home and office also makes the problem even worse.
The odds may be stacked against you, but don’t worry! You can still achieve radiant, hydrated winter skin if you’re willing to make a few adjustments to your lifestyle and skincare routine.
1. Invest in a Humidifier
Winter air is extremely dry, which makes your skin drier, too. Placing a cool-air humidifier in the room where you spend the most time can increase the amount of moisture in the air. This will help to keep your skin, lips, and even your hair hydrated. It’s a great way to prevent dry, itchy, flaky, or cracked skin, too.
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2. Modify Your Diet
Including more healthy fats in your diet in the wintertime is vital for radiant, hydrated skin. Try to include avocado, olive and nut oils in your cooking each day. Be sure you’re getting your omega-3s by eating fatty fish, nuts, and seeds regularly.
And, while it can be tempting to have an extra cup of coffee or glass of wine when it’s chilly, you’re better off keeping caffeine and alcohol to a minimum. They’re both diuretics, which means they’re dehydrating, and that’s the last thing you want in the wintertime. Focus on drinking lots of water and herbal teas instead.
3. Exfoliate Often
No matter how much you apply moisturizer to your skin, it won’t soak it up efficiently if you don’t exfoliate often. Invest in gentle exfoliators for your face and body and use them two or three times each week.
However, if you’re using strong chemical exfoliators like Retin-A, it’s probably a good idea to taper them off during the winter. While they’re fantastic for fighting wrinkles and uneven skin tone, they will only make the dryness and flakiness worse.
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4. Use an Antioxidant Serum
An antioxidant serum should have a place in your skincare routine all year-round, not just in the winter. Just be sure the one you use in the winter is alcohol-free!
Antioxidants like CoQ10 and vitamin C protect the skin from environmental damage and free radicals. They’re essential for preventing hyperpigmentation, collagen breakdown, and premature wrinkles and fine lines.
5. Switch to a Heavier Moisturizer
Switching to a high quality, rich moisturizer is one of the best ways to keep winter skin hydrated, but it’s often overlooked. Moisturizers for Korean beauty are amazing for wintertime because they’re designed to create a moisture barrier that keeps moisture in the skin.
They also protect the skin against environmental toxins while preventing chapping and redness. K-beauty moisturizers are often rich in antioxidants for added protection, as well as hyaluronic acid, which binds moisture to the skin.
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6. Seal in Moisture with Face and Body Oils
Adding skin care oils to your routine can provide amazing benefits any time of year, but especially in the winter. Face and body oils can be applied with or without moisturizer to seal in moisture and keep toxins out.
They’re super hydrating, and depending on which one you choose, they also provide a host of other skincare benefits. Here are a few that are ideal for wintertime use:
- Rosehip Seed Oil: Rich in antioxidants. Also has anti-aging properties, fades hyperpigmentation, and is super hydrating.
- Marula Oil: Contains linoleic acid, a building block for ceramides. It’s super hydrating, promotes elasticity, and can treat issues like eczema and psoriasis.
- Coconut Oil: An all-purpose hydrator for the face, body, lips, hair, and cuticles. Rich in fatty acids that minimize water loss and keep skin cells hydrated.
- Grapeseed Oil: An anti-aging oil that restores collagen and softens fine lines. Rich in antioxidants that fight redness and inflammation.
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7. Avoid Long, Hot Showers and Baths
A long, hot bath or shower can feel so good on a chilly day, but it can also lead to dry, flaky skin. Especially if your skin already tends to be dry in the first place. Try to stick to water that’s comfortably warm but not hot.
And if you can’t resist the temptation, be sure to follow up immediately with a rich moisturizer followed by a hydrating skincare oil to seal in moisture.
8. Give Your Skin Some Extra TLC at Night
We all love a K-beauty sheet mask, but when the skin is dry and parched, Korean sleep masks are a real game-changer. You’ll get similar benefits to your favorite sheet mask, but since a sleep mask stays on the sin all night, the results are even more dramatic.
Simply switch out your nighttime moisturizer for an overnight hydration mask once or twice a week to bring your parched winter skin back to life.
Photo courtesy of leungchopan via Envato Elements
9. Don’t Skip the Sunscreen
When it’s freezing outside, you might think you don’t need to bother with sunscreen. But, that’s not the case at all. The sun can still damage your skin when it’s cold, and that irritation can lead to redness and dryness… not to mention premature aging and potential skin cancer.
10. Rethink Your Makeup Routine
The powders you used in summer can accentuate dry, flaky skin and make it look even worse. Try starting your makeup routine with a water-based hydrating primer. This will help your makeup glide on smoothly while adding another protective layer against the dry, cold air.
Choose a concealer and foundation that set without the need to add a face powder. If the product you choose seems too shiny after application, try blotting papers to take down the shine instead of powder.
When it comes to your face products, skip the powders and go for cream highlighters, bronzers, and blushes. They’ll melt into your skin, provide a radiant glow, and look much more natural.
And finally, the final step in your routine should be a hydrating facial mist. It will create a beautifully soft, dewy glow, and help set your makeup in place without powder.
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Wrapping it Up
Winter’s dry, cold air can really take a toll on your skin. But with the right skin care strategy, there’s no reason you can’t have radiant, hydrated skin all winter long. It’s all about nourishment and hydration inside and out.
Credits:
Writer: Nicole McCray https://www.nicolemccray.com/ @nicolermccray (Twitter)
Edited by Holly Glasser @hollyglasser (Instagram)
