Follow These Winter Skincare Tips for Thriving Skin in the Colder Months
Anyone who has spent even one winter in Colorado knows that your skin has different needs in the winter. Between our dry climate, indoor heating that pulls moisture from the air, and harsh conditions of being out in the cold and the snow, our skin needs some extra TLC in the winter.
In this blog, we’re sharing our top 7 winter skincare tips so you have thriving skin in the coming months!
Switch Up Your Moisturizer
It’s entirely normal to switch to a more emollient moisturizer in the winter or add another hydrating serum to your daily skincare routine to keep up with your skin's demands. We often recommend adding Rhonda Allison’s Drop of Essence to your moisturizing regimen, which has omega fatty acids that provide a protective barrier. If you feel like your everyday moisturizer just isn’t cutting it in the winter months, ask your esthetician for a heavier-duty recommendation. All the skincare lines we carry have moisturizers that offer more intense hydration.
Wear Sunscreen!
Yes, we need to wear sunscreen in the winter months too! For those who love outdoor winter sports like skiing or snowmobiling, apply and reapply sunscreen. Even if you just go outside to shovel your driveway, having some SPF on is a good idea.
Wear a Face Mask and Protective Barriers
Whether you’re hitting the slopes for the day or shoveling your driveway, protective barriers go a long way in keeping your skin healthy. Protective barriers include wearing a face mask, sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, and a heavy-duty moisturizer. Trilipiderm has several moisturizers we love for winter. The company is based in Jackson, Wyoming, so they understand what skin needs in a dry, cold climate! Wearing a mask and protective barriers prevent broken blood vessels people get on their face from extreme cold.
Use a Hyaluronic Acid
Products with hyaluronic acid are wonderful year-round, but especially in dry climates like ours, they’re essential in the winter. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture. It has an incredible ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, making it exceptionally hydrating for the skin.
Drink Plenty of Water and Stay Hydrated!
Staying hydrated can seem easier in the summer because we naturally drink more water when we’re hot. It’s also common for our diets to be filled with fruits and vegetables with a high water content in the summer. In the winter, many of us have to be more intentional about drinking water and eating foods that keep us hydrated. When you’re hydrated, your skin cells function optimally, and your skin tone and texture improve.
Use Humidifiers or Install a Whole-Home Humidifier If You Can
Using a humidifier in your bedroom or installing a whole-home humidifier in your central air system can do wonders for your skin. Central air provides such a wonderful creature comfort of keeping our homes warm. But it also pulls moisture out of the air, causing the air in your home to be extremely dry—dry climate aside! So, adding more moisture to the air will definitely help your skin stay hydrated.
Take a Fish Oil Supplement
Along with drinking plenty of water, taking fish oil is another way to support your skin from the inside out. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil help to maintain the skin's natural lipid barrier, which is essential for retaining moisture and preventing dehydration. By supporting the skin's barrier function, fish oil can help to keep the skin hydrated, plump, and supple, reducing the appearance of dryness and fine lines.
It’s challenging to combat the dryness during Colorado winters, but with these 7 tips, your skin really can thrive in the winter! Of course regular skincare treatments can help too, so come in and see us!