Skin, especially dry skin, usually reacts to the change of seasons and winter is the worst season for dry skin. For this reason, more attention should be paid to dry skin. In this article, we've covered everything you need to know about dry skin care.
Why should we take care of dry skin in winter?
The decrease in temperature and humidity in the dry season of winter and the heat caused by the heating systems of the interior spaces of the houses go hand in hand and make our skin drier and duller than it is.
When the ambient humidity decreases, the ambient air absorbs a large part of the humidity and the water under our skin is lost. Therefore, you should moisturize your skin with emollients and moisturizers and keep your skin moist with protective covering materials (moisturizers).
How to recognize that our skin is dry?
If your skin becomes dry, scaly, itchy and painful during the cold and winter months of the year, you have dry skin and you need to take care of it properly to improve the condition and prevent it from getting worse.
The following are the most common symptoms of dry skin:
- getting layered
- skin redness
- Roughening of skin texture
- Severe itching of the skin
- Inflammation and redness in the skin
- stretch marks
- skin irritation
These symptoms vary depending on the severity of skin dryness, and the drier your skin is, the more skin damage occurs.
How to take care of our dry skin in winter?
Dry skin is inevitable in winter and cold months of the year. In order for your skin to always look soft, smooth and vibrant, you need to make changes to your skin care routine and daily habits. In fact, with the following recommended methods, you can keep your facial skin soft and undamaged:
1. Use cleaners
Start skin care by keeping your skin clean. Always, especially in winter, you should be careful that the cosmetic or skin protection products you use do not stay on your face permanently or your skin is not full of environmental pollution. For this reason, use cleaners. Also, choose cleaners that do not contain sulfates and phthalates. These substances usually destroy the natural oils of the skin.
When cleaning dry skin, you should use mild cleansing creams or creams containing milk formulations.
2. Apply serum or moisturizer immediately after washing your face
Whenever you wash your face, hands or body, your skin's natural oils are also removed. Therefore, you should immediately use a suitable serum or moisturizer. The natural oils of the skin are necessary to keep the skin soft and supple. These fats usually keep the moisture of the skin and prevent it from escaping. Therefore, after washing your skin, apply moisturizer or use moisturizing serums to compensate for the lost oils.
Serums are also strong and suitable moisturizers. On the other hand, serums are usually light products and do not prevent the absorption of other products into the skin. Moisturizing serums, like hyaluronic acid, deliver moisture to the deeper layers of your skin. They usually have more active nutrients such as vitamin C and glycolic acid and make the skin plump, bright and clear.
To better moisturize your dry skin, it is better to use serums first, then apply moisturizer to the skin.
In order not to forget to use a moisturizer after washing, place a moisturizer next to the sink. Also, always have a moisturizer in your bag to use when needed.
3. Put sunscreen on your face every day
Since the days are shorter and dimmer in the winter than in the summer, you might think you don't need to use sunscreen every day. But make no mistake. Harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun hit your skin even in the winter season and from behind the clouds, and if there is no skin care barrier, it will damage it. Therefore, in order to maintain the health and moisture of your skin, you must use sunscreen when you are under the sun or even clouds. Of course, before using sunscreen, be sure to apply moisturizer to your skin.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that the SPF of sunscreen creams should not be less than 30.
4. Use skin care products at night as well
Nighttime skin care products are great. Emollients keep your skin moisturized. Of course, because these types of products are heavier than moisturizers, they need more time to be absorbed by the skin. Therefore, apply conditioner to your skin at night so that these heavy products have enough time to be absorbed by your skin and provide the moisture and oil your skin needs.
In addition, if you apply lubricating ointment to your hands or feet, cover your feet with plastic bags and your hands with gloves so that the ointment remains on your skin and does not wash off with your bed.
5. Have your own skin care routine
If you have very sensitive and irritable skin, and the dry winter weather makes it worse, you may want to create a simpler skin care routine to make it easier to follow.
Remember that the skin's moisture barrier, which is also called the skin's defense barrier, must be healthy so that it can respond well to all kinds of serums, toners, and other beauty treatments.
Therefore, if you have very sensitive skin, it is very likely that it will be sensitive to substances such as perfume and alcohol. In this situation, products that normally sit well and perfectly on the face, may irritate your skin. For this reason, choose your skin care routine simply. For example, use moisturizer and sunscreen in the morning and gentle cleansers and moisturizers at night.
Whenever your skin's defense barrier improves and your skin sensitivities are reduced, you can slowly use other skin care products.
6. Use humidifiers in the room
Humidifiers humidify the dry air inside the room. These devices reduce air dryness. Especially when heating systems dry out the air in the home in winter, humidify the environment with humidifiers.
According to Harvard University researchers, humidifiers, when set to 60% humidity, moisturize the outermost layer of the skin.
7. Lower the temperature
A hot shower at the end of a cold winter day is very pleasant and relaxing. But remember that high water temperature makes the skin very sensitive. Therefore, when taking a shower, set the water temperature to lukewarm. According to a study by Baylor College of Medicine researchers, hot water removes all skin oils faster than lukewarm water and dries out the skin. Therefore, keep the water temperature around 37 degrees.
In addition, after the bath, instead of pulling the towel strongly on your skin to dry it, dry the wetness by gently patting the towel on your body. This allows some water to remain on your body and the outermost layer of your skin becomes moist and hydrated.
8. Exfoliate the skin
Exfoliation is effective in removing dead cells from the surface of the skin. By removing these cells, your skin will be smooth and clear. Of course, you should not overdo the exfoliation. Excessive exfoliation damages the skin. Also, be careful when exfoliating, use products suitable for your skin.
If your skin is dry or flaky, use mild chemical products to exfoliate and never go for physical scrubs. If you use harsh physical scrubs, you will destroy the moisture of your skin's defense barrier and damage it.
Also, if your skin is red and sensitive, do not use exfoliators until the skin recovers.
9. Add a protective cover product to your skin care routine
For your skin's defense barrier, you need to use emollients and moisturizers to keep your skin smooth and flexible. But if you don't get results after using emollients for a while, add protective coverings to your skin care routine. These coating materials create a physical barrier instead of the natural defense barrier of the skin and keep moisture on the skin. Among these moisture protective coating materials, the following can be mentioned:
- Shea Butter
- Cocoa butter
- Rosehip oil
- Jojoba oil
- Products based on petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline and Aquaphor)
Moisturize your skin twice a day, then use these protective cover products.
10. Use face and body massage tools
Among these tools, we can mention “Seng Guasha”. Apply the guasha stone on your face and massage the skin. This will reduce the inflammation and puffiness of the facial skin and make you look fresh.
When massaging the face with a guasha stone, pour 3 to 4 drops of your favorite protective covering oil on your skin and massage it with the guasha. Pour enough oil on your skin so that the guasha stone slides easily on the skin. The movement of the stone on your skin should not be rigid, because it will cause more damage to the skin.
11. Pay attention to the skin of your lips
Do not forget to take care of the skin of your lips. Lips are usually exposed to the cold winter weather and the possibility of them becoming dry and cracked is very high. Of course, if your lip skin is very dry, apply a little honey before using the conditioner. Honey acts as a very mild exfoliator and removes dry, dead skin from the lips.
To do this, first moisten a clean cloth with lukewarm water and leave it on your lips for a few minutes until the skin of this area is completely soft. Then mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of sugar and put a thin layer of this mixture on your lips. Then move your finger on your lips slowly and circularly. Finally, wash your lips with lukewarm water and apply lip balm.
12. Keep your body hydrated
Another way to keep your skin healthy and glowing is to stay hydrated throughout the day. If your body has enough water, it will have a good effect on your skin, but not enough water will dry out the outermost layer of your skin.
In addition to keeping the body hydrated, it is better to consume foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Also, consuming milk with different fruits such as strawberries (which are rich in antioxidants) helps to improve your skin.
Water and nutrients protect your skin cells from environmental damage and keep them healthy. Never reach for alcoholic drinks or drugs. These ingredients are the killer of fresh skin and will dry out your skin very quickly.
13. Pay attention to the fabric of the clothes you wear
If your skin is dry, you should not wear clothes that are made of harsh, harsh or allergenic materials. Also, it is not recommended to wear tight clothes. Your clothes should be made of natural fibers so that your skin is not irritated.
14. Wear gloves
To take care of the defense barrier of the skin of your hands or to prevent further damage to it, use gloves when working with different materials for washing dishes or clothes. In addition, never expose your dry skin to cold weather on cold days of the year. When you go outside, be sure to wear gloves.
Dry skin care routine in winter
Here is an example of a weekly skin care routine. This process will help your dry skin not only get worse in winter, but get on the road to recovery:
Day 1: Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize
Clearing: Start your day by washing your face and hands. Use gentle hydrating cleansers so you don't strip your skin of all its natural oils. Also, remember to use products that are not too harsh. Cleansing creams or gels are ideal. Put these cleaning products on wet skin and massage gently. After you are done, wash your face with lukewarm water.
Exfoliation: After cleansing your skin, use very gentle exfoliation and clean the dead skin of your face and open the closed pores of the skin.
Humidifier: At this stage, you should use a nourishing moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and protected from damage.
Second day: mask and toner
Mask: First, use a moisturizing face mask to hydrate and nourish your dry skin.
Toner: Toner is a water-based skin cleanser that cleans, moisturizes and refreshes the skin and shrinks the skin pores.
After you have hydrated your skin with the right mask, now use some kind of toner to balance the pH value of your skin surface and make your skin cleaner and more moisturized.
Attention:
Although toner is a hydrating product. But using it too much will have the opposite effect and make your skin dry and inflexible. Serums are usually better than toners. In addition, you can use rose water instead of these hydrating products.
Third day: Cleansing, applying serum and moisturizing
Clearing: Wash your face gently, then wipe it off with a hydrating cleanser.
my head: After cleaning your face, use hydrating serums containing substances such as hyaluronic acid, so that not only your facial skin is hydrated, but it also looks voluminous and full.
moisturize: After you have done the above two things, finish the third day routine with a moisturizer rich in nutrients. In this way, your skin will stay moist and fresh all day.
Fourth day: mask and toner
The routine of this day is the same as the second day. Repeat all the work of the second day today.
Day 5: Cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing
On this day, you must repeat the process of the third day. If you have done your skin care process with due care and follow-up, your skin will look good and great.
Sixth and seventh days: repeat the second and third days
On the sixth and seventh days, you must repeat exactly what you did on the second and third days.
After some time of this type of care, you will notice soft, smooth and transparent skin, and the dryness of the winter air will not have a destructive effect on your skin.
Attention
If your skin is extremely dry, frequent exfoliation will make it worse. So exfoliate once a week. On other exfoliating days, just cleanse and moisturize.
last word
As said, to have healthy and fresh skin, your body should be full of water, have a healthy diet to keep your skin moist, nourished and healthy. Do not use hot water to wash your skin so as not to lose the natural oils of your skin. The absence of these fats makes your skin extremely dry. Sunscreen also protects your skin from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
According to the points mentioned in this article, you can easily take care of your dry skin in winter. how about you? What methods do you use to keep your skin soft and smooth that are not mentioned in this article? We will be happy if you share those methods with us.
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