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Winter winds and summer showers do very different things to our skin, so it’s no surprise that depending on the time of year we need to be ready to adjust our skin-care routines. Changing a few base products for moisture, SPF, exfoliation, and cleansing, will do wonders to keep your skin soft and glowing year round. The weather can be unpredictable but your skin doesn’t have to be.
1) Gently Clean
Winter is the time to give our skin a breather from the heat and UV rays its been receiving during summer that can cause dark spots and redness. To help your face recover you’ll want to baby it with some gentle cleaning that draws on cream-based formulas. Korres currently has a Greek Yoghurt Hydration Complexion Trio that will give you a foaming cream cleanser to remove make-up and dirt, in addition to a moisturizer and facial cream.
2) Exfoliate
In the summer months we can get away with exfoliating every two weeks or so, but in the winter our skin is dry and dead layers build up a lot quicker. Depending on whether you have oily or sensitive skin you can exfoliate once to twice a week, but using a gentle scrub. Cold weather naturally irritates your skin so using a heavily granular scrub can aggravate that further. Try a gentle chemical exfoliant that uses lactic acids to slough off those dry layers. Taya Beauty makes a White Clay Exfoliating Balm that is perfect for this time of year.
3) Hydrate
The biggest impact on our skin throughout the year is humidity. During the winter, cold, dry air outside combined with hot, dry air inside will make our skin lose moisture fast. Our skin tries to compensate for this loss by producing more oil which can just create blemishes. Choose a rich oil-free moisturizer for your face, and choose an even richer oil-based butter for your body that will lock in nourish for your skin. The best time to apply moisturizer is right after showering or cleansing your face when your skin is still damp. Vbeauté has a wonderful line of skin-care products for cold weather that will help keep your skin hydrated. Try their Undercover Agent Serum or their Buying Time Everyday Créme. Serums can be helpful for winter when you want to get extra nutrients to deeper levels of your skin.
4) Protect
Even in winter with less sun time every day our skin still needs protection from UV rays with the right SPF lotion. After moisturizing choose an SPF for your face and body that ideally has a 30 SPF rating and reapply throughout the day. Don’t forget about protecting your lips too! When you brush your teeth lightly scrub your lips to exfoliate and then apply a hydrating lip balm infused with SPF to prevent chafing from exposure. Serious Skincare makes a lightweight, non-greasy sunscreen for your face that can be your daily layer for winter ready skin.
5) Extras
If you really want to take your skin-care routine up a notch you can use a humidifier in your home during the winter to help restore moisture to the air and give your skin a boost. Inversely though don’t be fooled into thinking that lingering in the shower will do the same thing, as hot water can actually dry your skin out further.
What’s lacking in your skin-care routine this season?