Winter can be a real challenge for our skin. With low temperatures, wind and indoor heating, our epidermis often suffers from dryness, tightness and wrinkles. And yet, taking care of your skin in winter is essential to maintaining its radiance and health. Good moisturizing not only maintains the skin's elasticity, but also protects it from external aggressors.
In this article, we offer 10 simple and effective tips for moisturizing your skin throughout the cold season. To keep your skin soft and radiant throughout the winter!
1. Use a richer day cream
In winter, skin needs extra moisture due to dry air, exposure to cold and wind, and indoor heating. Cold and wind can also reduce sebum production, affecting the hydrolipidic film that protects the skin. In summer, light skin care products are preferable, but in winter, they should be replaced by richer, creamier creams.
2. Moisturize from within
Drink. Drink water. It's the essential ingredient. To be “hydrated from the inside out”, the skin needs us to drink around 1.5 liters of water a day (that's about 8 glasses... do the math to see if you're there...). It's a routine we all need to adopt, because water is essential for the body to function properly!
3. Avoid water that's too hot
When you wake up, put your feet up on a cold floor and head for a freezing shower... the temptation is strong to turn the tap lever to maximum heat! And it's so good to feel the hot water flowing over us as the steam surrounds us... But in reality, this very hot water dries out the skin, which is why it sometimes feels tingling during or after the shower. To be kind to our skin, bath or shower water should not exceed 38 degrees.
4. Oil yourself
Vegetable oils deeply moisturize the skin and help cells regenerate. Even oily skin can use them! Low temperatures, wind and dry air reduce sebum production and weaken the skin barrier, making skin more sensitive and prone to dehydration. Oils help maintain hydration, nourish the skin and prevent dryness-related discomforts such as chapping and itching.
5. Use an eye cream
As we all know, whatever product we use - cream, serum... - there's always a contraindication that says “avoid the eye contour area”. Why is this? Because this area is thinner and more fragile, with fewer sebaceous glands. What's more, serums and creams can contain ingredients that are potentially irritating to the eyes. So it's best to use a specific eye contour care product, formulated to be gentle and adapted to the delicate skin of this area. Applying the right care to this area delays the first signs of aging and fights fine lines and wrinkles.
6. Exfoliate your skin
In winter, our skin is encased in layers of fabric and clothing, and can't necessarily breathe naturally. If the skin is not properly exfoliated, this can lead to a number of problems, including the formation of blackheads, whiteheads, ingrown hairs, dull skin and less effective absorption of skincare products. It is therefore recommended to use gentle body scrubs about twice a week. This allows the skin to rid itself of dead skin cells and enhances the effectiveness of skin care products.
7. Nourish your hands
Like the face, the hands are the parts of the body most exposed to the cold. So they too have the right to be moisturized and nourished, to prevent cracks! For ultra-dry hands, cover them with a layer of cream in the evening, then put on gloves and leave the cream on overnight. When you wake up, the skin on your hands will be much softer...
8. Use a mild cleanser
If hot water dries out your skin, you should know that some cleansers don't do you any good either! For the driest skin, opt for a dermatological bar. Soap-free, it gently moisturizes the skin. The same goes for your face, which you need to cleanse after each make-up removal; choose a cleanser that will leave your skin feeling soft, without irritation or tightness.
9. Take care of your hair
Winter takes its toll on our hair too! In addition to the cold, it has to put up with hats, bungee cords... To strengthen the scalp, opt for a moisturizing shampoo to make it stronger against external aggressions, and a dry oil to protect your ends.
10. Use masks
Cold weather weakens the cutaneous barrier, making the epidermis more vulnerable to external aggression. Moisturizing masks can compensate for this water loss and strengthen the skin barrier. They can also soothe irritation and redness caused by external aggression, and restore radiance after a period of fatigue caused by the cold. Applied twice a week, these masks will give you the opportunity to take a moment of pure well-being just for you...
