Winter come with its fair share of skin problems, which, in most cases, zeroes in on developing dry, flaky skin. There was a time when people would end up investing in ‘body oils’ and ‘cold creams’ for their winter skin care. But, honestly enough, your skin needs much more nourishment than that. There are, in fact, a number of ways to make it.
Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize
Light moisturizers might work fine for you during the spring and summertime. But when the weather changes, you should also alter your skin care routine. Ideally, an oil-based moisturizer will serve you best in winter, rather than its water-based counterparts.
The oil content in the moisturizer will form a protective layer on your skin. This will help to lock in more moisture than what a lotion or cream will do. However, when it comes to choosing an oil-based moisturizer, make sure that you get something that contains ‘facial-skin friendly’ oils, such as almond oil, avocado oil or primrose oil.
Even moisturizers and body lotions containing shea butter or shea oil might be unsuitable for facial skin, because they might clog pores. However, when it comes to body lotions exclusively you can also use products that contain sorbitol, glycerin and alpha-hydroxy acids; because they can attract more moisture to your skin.
But make sure that you use your night cream regularly, because most of them contain a lot of skin-nourishing oils.
Help your hands
Just like that of your face, the skin on the hands is more delicate than the rest of the parts of body. Also, the skin cells on your hands have lesser number of oil glands. No wonder that you find is very tough to keep your hands moisturized round the clock, particularly in winter.
To make things worse, you can even develop cracking and itchiness. So when it is very cold outside, make sure to wear your gloves. Consider lightweight, cotton gloves if you are allergic to wools. Also, avoid wearing wet gloves or socks, as they might irritate the skin and lead to sores, cracks and itching, and even eczema.
Know the truth about drinking water
You might have heard a thousand times that, drinking water is hood for your skin health. Now, it’s time you learn the fact from the truth- drinking water is great for your overall health; and your skin is a reflection of how you are doing! However, if your skin is excessively dehydrated, which is common in summer, and then you might get the results by drinking fluid. On by and large, your skin might not show how much fluid you consume.
Home remedies to moisturize skin in winter
Egg yolk mask
You might love having it everyday for breakfast, or you might not love how it smells, when raw. However, eggs are available in almost every kitchen, and you can use them to make excellent moisturizing face packs. Just take out and egg from the refrigerator; separate the yolk from the whites.
Next, add a teaspoon of milk powder and a teaspoon of honey to the yolk. Blend all the ingredients thoroughly and apply on your face generously, leaving the lip and eye areas. Leave on for twenty minutes and then rinse thoroughly with tepid water.
Rose and honey paste
Add a teaspoon of rosewater with a teaspoon of honey. Mix both of them well; and apply on your face. Relax for about 15 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. Apart from being a fantastic remedy for dry skin in winter, it is also a powerful skin cleanser, which helps to bring a natural glow on skin. Also, it is a great option for vegetarians, or those having allergy to eggs.
Miscellaneous remedies
- Mash a ripe banana, as well as a ripe papaya and mix both of them thoroughly. Apply the mixture evenly on your face and wash after 20 minutes.
- Add two tablespoons of good quality olive oil to your bathing water. This also helps to keep your skin hydrated.
- You can make your ‘winter-special’ overnight face pack by mixing 1 tablespoon of glycerin, 1 tablespoon of rose water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Use 1 teaspoon of orange peel powder with 1 tablespoon of honey. Use it as a face mask and rinse after 15 minutes. Use cool water. This face pack is great to lighten and even out your skin tone.
Some vital tips for winter skin care
Lather on your moisturizer right after taking your bath
We all know the importance of moisturizing the skin heavily during winter, because due to the dryness of the weather even the oily skin tends to turn dry during this time.
In order to make your moisturizer or body oil more effective in locking in the hydration, always use it right after having your bath. When applied over freshly bathed skin, the oil or moisturizer helps in trapping the moisture already present in the skin after the bath and hence offers better hydration for longer duration.
Ditch the hot water
A hot water bath feels really relaxing during winter but it is not really good for your skin and neither for your hairs. Hot water reaps off the required moisture from the skin making it even more dry.
So, during winter, opt for lukewarm water for bathing and for washing your face. Using hot water will increase the skin dryness making it chapped. The same will happen if you use too cold water right from the tap during winter for bathing or washing your face.
Reduce the use of skin scrubber
The importance of using a proper skin scrubber is vital throughout the year and you need to use the scrubber even during the winter months. However, over scrubbing your skin can actually make it dry and damaged, which can be aggravated during the dry winter season.
So, if you scrub your skin thrice a week normally, make it to twice a week during the winter just to ensure that the scrubbing is not reaping off all the moisture that your skin might need to protect it from the dry chilly air of winter.
Cover from the chilly wind
The chilly winter wind can harm your skin extensively. While lathering on moisturizer can give protection to your skin to some extent, a physical cover is always better.
So, if the mercury in your area has plunged down and there is high wind when you are going out, make sure to opt for maximum physical coverage. While full sweaters, multiple jackets, warm boots are fine for covering your body from the chilly winter wind, often we miss out to cover the face. Make sure that your face is also well covered before going out during winter, particularly when it is windy outside.
