Dry Skin in Winter? How to Treat It

Getting dry skin in winter is super common, but this problem can go away easily if you know how to treat it.   If your skin is feeling tight, dull, and has flaky patches, you may be experiencing dry skin. And with winter coming, this condition could get worse. Because the combination of cold weather, low humidity outdoors and forced-air heating indoors can deplete the natural moisture in your skin and become dehydrated.

Dry skin is not only an uncomfortable feeling, but it can also make your makeup look uneven.

What causes dry skin?

Besides weather factors, showering or bathing in hot water during winter can remove your skin’s natural oils, making your skin dry. So even if it's freezing outside, try your best to keep the water lukewarm. Additionally, harsh skincare products, over-exfoliation, frequent bathing, and a diet low in fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, can all contribute to dry skin.

How to treat it?

First, look at your skin care labels and check for alcohol on the ingredient list and any facial scrubs that have a rough texture, these could be drying your skin. Get rid of those. Then, you'll want to look for formulas that help maintain a healthy skin barrier through long-lasting hydration and start including them in your skincare routine.

Step 1: Cleanse

If you’ve experienced that too-tight feeling immediately after washing your face, you are using the wrong cleanser. Switch to a gentler cleanser that doesn't strip the skin. If your skin is looking dull and flaky, try using a gentle exfoliating face wash once a week.

But your core, gentle daily cleanser for dehydrated skin should be a cream cleanser, an oil cleanser, or a balm cleanser. Keep an eye out for in cleansers for dehydrated skin are ceramides. Ceramides are a lipid native to our skin that play a part in retaining moisture, so introducing them throughout our routine is essential.

Step 2: Treat

When choosing a serum to treat dry skin, you'll want to focus on hydration. Serums will penetrate deeper to deliver active ingredients further into the epidermis for longer-term results. Hence, you need to look for products with a high concentration of a moisturizing ingredient such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, and ceramides. The more moisture you put back into your complexion, the better.

For example, hyaluronic acid will help to draw moisture from your environment into your skin. Your skin is going to feel instantly plumper and more hydrated when you use a hyaluronic acid serum.

Step 3: Moisturize

It’s time to layer up with an equally hydrating moisturizer. Dry skin types can tolerate thicker and more emollient formulas. On the other hand, normal/oily skin types should look for a lighter moisturizer but equally effective. For example, moisturizers containing shea butter glycerides are incredibly nourishing and don’t clog pores. You just must try until you find the one delivers the perfect amount of hydration.

Lastly, try to feed the skin from within. Stay hydrated, consume more fatty acids like omega.  Treat your dry skin properly, even more during winter. You will see a huge difference on your skin, we swear!!