Given the early onset of winter, it is important to slightly adjust your skincare regimen. Here are a few ways and beauty hacks to do that
Winter is everyone’s favourite season to shower yourself with love and some hot chocolate. It’s a great time to pamper yourself but you should not forget the cold-weather woes — dry, flaky skin, chapped lips and unnecessary redness. As you step out every day, your face is exposed to the chilling wind and dust. This can make your skin look dull. Hence, the change in weather calls for some changes on the skincare regimen too. Here are some ways to take care of your skin during winters.
Mindful eating
Our skin condition gets impacted during winters due to various internal and external factors. Internal factors like our skin health and gut has a direct impact. Hence, it is very important to be mindful about what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. The season is full of goodies and lots of house parties, which has pleasant side effects. So it is advisable to regularly have a handful of nuts to keep your skin nourished. Drink loads of water to remain hydrated. Have food which is rich in vitamins and nutrients as our diet plays a very important role in skin health. This also helps in delaying the ageing process. Balanced diet can keep ageing at bay for sure.
External factor like the weather has an impact on our skin condition. On places where weather is too cold and chilly, our skin tends to get dry, itchy and flaky. And heating on fireworks at-home, skin may already have taken a toll. But do not worry, right skin care routine will ensure that glow on your skin.
Invest in a humidifier
You must ensure that you prepare yourself multi-dimensionally for the change as per the season. It can be preparing your home, switching to the right products, or a balance diet. Winter means drier air. Hence, it is important to have the right electronic gadget at home which will help in maximising the level of water in the air. Therefore, investing in humidifier would be a perfect idea for the season. This way the moisture level in the room remains intact and helps skins epidermal layer to retain hydration and natural moisture. Also, ensure a safe distance from the heater.
Avoid alcohol-heavy products
Apply right products on your skin, use heavy cream instead of a moisturiser as it has rich ingredients like hyaluronic acid which helps in retaining natural moisture and hydration. Use antioxidant-rich products for skin and as well as diet. It is advisable to use alcohol-free products as they are good for any season. Our skin, be it is summer, monsoon, autumn or winter, gets affected by free radicals which eventually leads the skin to premature ageing, fine lines. To keep fine lines and premature ageing at bay one can continue to use the year sunscreen. Another excellent product to keep fine lines and premature ageing at bay is Retinal A. Whether indoor or outdoor, vitamin C rich products which will help in boosting collagen.
Look for gentle ingredients
Look for calming and natural ingredients such as aloe vera, vitamins etc. Just as sunblock plays an essential role all round the year, similarly, exfoliator plays an important part in keeping skin soft and supple. Use any gentle exfoliator on your skin atleast two times a day to keep away those dry flaky layer on your skin. Check your skin type and decide on scrubbing. Those who have very sensitive skin may use something very gentle like oatmeal as an exfoliator. There are gentle peels available in the market like a glycolic or lactic peel. One can do a patch test behind their ear, if no irritation or redness occurs, you are good to go and use it to remove dead cells. One can also use a muslin cloth as a gentle exfoliator for face. People use it to keep the unwanted facial hair at bay and also any kind of congestion on the face.
Retinal A is a great source of exfoliation. One must patch test before using any new product behind the ears. Always use a good heavy cream post usage of a chemical peel or retinal A. Do ensure to use sunblock. Do not step out onto direct sunlight.
Shorten your shower timing
With winters, shower temperature becomes hot. But keep shower timing short. A hot shower can ultimately impact to premature ageing of our skin and may also dehydrate one’s skin. Keep the shower a less hot and short. Use alcohol-free and creamy shower wash instead of those harsh soap which has tons of alcohol and takes away the natural moisture. Apply body cream post shower to retain the hydration.
Night skincare
The most important step of the skincare regimen is night care. It is the time when our skin does all the repairing job. Hence opt for products which are more of curing and repairing in nature as per your skin type. I suggest double cleansing your face to remove dirt, oil and makeup. Start with a face oil followed by a gentle moisturiser. Then use eye cream for eye contour. I mix drops of vitamin C oil with anti-ageing night repair cream for both, face and neck. Then use foot and hand cream. Also use sleeping mask for lips to keep it from drying due to the weather. Avoid any kind of mud or clay products during dry skin. It may further make your skin dryer. Keep your skin and diet healthy.
(The writer Rukshmani Thakkar is Technical Head-Skin, Enrich.)