5 Winter Skincare Hacks You Need To Try

20.02.2020 WELLNESS 0.0 0

winter skincare

Winter is an exciting, beautiful season. There’s something magical about the promise of snow, the sparkling frost, the stark trees, and crisp blue skies. And there’s nothing more satisfying than snuggling up inside with chunky knitwear and a hot chocolate.

Unfortunately, the cold weather at this time of year also brings one big problem: winter skin. Those crisp winter days might look beautiful, but the cold, dry air is terrible for your skin. Dryness, chapped lips, cracked hands - they’re all common problems that many of us deal with during the colder months.

In this post, we’ll be covering five great (and sometimes surprising) winter skincare hacks that you need to try — read on to find out how you can help your skin this winter.

Hydrate your skin with a natural face mask

We all know the perks of a hydrating face mask. But did you know that you don’t have to go shopping to pick up a face mask? You don’t even have to step outside the house; you can simply find all of the ingredients in your own kitchen.

There are all sorts of natural foods that can help to soothe winter skin. For example, the lactic acid in yogurt acts as a natural exfoliant, which will help dissolve dead skin cells and tighten pores.

It also contains anti-inflammatory vitamin E, which can calm skin irritated by the cold, dry weather, and even fight skin conditions like acne or eczema.

So the next time your skin is suffering, try this moisturizing honey and rose yogurt face mask from Organic Authority (honey is also antibacterial and full of complexion-boosting antioxidants).

If you don’t fancy yogurt, you can also try making masks with coconut oil, avocado, olive oil or bananas — all of which have moisturizing and soothing qualities, and can easily be made into a natural DIY face mask.

Boost your moisturizing routine

Adding regular moisturizing to your winter skincare routine is probably the best way to tackle dry, unhappy skin.

The harsh winter weather, as well as the temperature leap when you go into hot heated buildings, can easily dry out your skin, leaving it itchy, dry and flaky. This can get even worse if you already suffer from skin conditions like eczema.

Boosting your moisturizing routine is a must during the winter.

Use a rich, oil-based moisturizer to keep your skin nourished and healing throughout the cold, dry months.

If you only moisturizing once a day, increase it to twice daily — after a bath or a shower to lock the moisture into your skin, and before you go to bed. Apply creams during the day if you notice dry or itchy skin too.

If you suffer from a skin condition like eczema and it’s particularly bad during winter, then you should think about getting some fortified moisturizers. These contain steroids or other ingredients to help tackle flare-ups (you can find out more about topical steroid creams on this post from The Independent Pharmacy). You can find steroid cream in the UK and around the world pretty easily.

Turn down the temperature of your shower or bath

When the weather is cold outside, there’s nothing more tempting than slipping into a steaming bath to relax and warm up. But while this may seem like the perfect way to relax, it’s actually super stressful for your skin.

Whether it’s a bath or shower, hot water can really disrupt the skin’s moisture balance, stripping the natural oils away. These oils are essential for keeping your skin healthy and hydrated — without them, you’ll feel dry, itchy and flaky. So what can we do to fix this?

Well, something as simple as reducing the temperature of your bath water can make a big difference. Opting for a warm bath or shower instead of a scalding hot one will keep your skin happy, and even help to heal irritations.

Try oatmeal in your bath

Here’s one winter skincare hack that you definitely wouldn’t expect — putting oatmeal in your bath.

That’s right: an oatmeal bath is amazing for your skin. Oatmeal is naturally soothing and moisturizing — perfect for your dry winter skin.

In fact, oatmeal is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties that can even help to soothe the symptoms of skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The compounds found in oatmeal (which include vitamin E, ferulic acid, and aventhramides) soothe itching and irritation, as well as cleansing the skin.

There are plenty of skincare products out there that use oatmeal to help with irritated or problem skin, but you can just create your own oatmeal bath. Simply grind up rolled oats (you can use a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor) and add a cup to your bath. If you want your bath to be less messy, you can put the oats in a cheesecloth or tie them up in pantyhose.

So the next time you’re struggling with sad skin, give oats a try.

Chapstick doesn’t just have to be for your lips

As well as our skin, our lips can also take a hit during the colder months! It’s important to keep chapstick on you and regularly apply it to avoid dry, chapped lips. But did you know you can also use chapstick for the rest of your face?

A moisturizing chapstick — one with natural emollients like aloe vera, shea butter, or jojoba oil — isn’t just hydrating and healing for your lips. If you’re out and about, and you can’t get your hands on a normal moisturizer, you can use chapstick on your eyebrows, eyelids, nose, and even your elbows.

The balm will form a protective seal on your skin which can help when you’ve got dry patches or irritation. It’s especially good for your nose if you’ve got a cold and your skin is red from blowing your nose constantly.

The cold winter weather can often leave our skin dry, itchy and flaky. Try out these five winter skincare hacks and give your skin some love (and moisturization!) today.