It’s never easy to accomplish the dewy, hydrated, just-got-back-from-a-trip-to-Fiji glow — but it’s next to impossible when you have the cold, winter air working against you. Not only can the cold air and wind itself strip your skin of any signs of moisture, but artificial heat from your heater can as well.
The odds are definitely stacked against us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do our best to get our glow on every month of the year. There are things you can add to and nix from your routine that can help your skin survive the most “blah” months of the year.
1. Use a Humidifier
In the winter, the air inside is super dry, meaning that your skin can be getting drier by the minute while you’re going about your life, and especially while you’re sleeping. Adding a humidifier to your bedroom can put moisture back into the air, in turn putting more moisture into your skin, and helping you wake up glowing every morning.
2. Overnight Hydration Masks
We all love the benefits of the occasional sheet mask, but overnight masks are a whole different ball game: the benefits of a mask — but after being on your skin all night, instead of for 10 minutes. Yes, please. Using a hydrating overnight mask a couple times a week can help bring your skin back to life.
3. Moisturize with Oils
Adding oils to your skincare routine can be super beneficial year-round, but particularly in the winter. Oils help to keep moisture in the skin while helping to keep toxins out.
Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil has a laundry list of benefits for skin — it’s packed with antioxidants, has anti-aging properties, can fade dark spots, and can help hydrate, to name a few.
Marula Oil
Marula oil is contains linoleic acid, a building block for ceramides, one of skin’s main moisturizing elements, and is super effective at hydrating skin. It also can help treat skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema, and can promote elasticity when used consistently — win!
Bio-Oil
Two of our editors swear by Bio-Oil for dehydrated skin. It helps to restore the moisture barrier of the skin (a layer of oil on the surface of the skin that helps to stop moisture from escaping), which can be damaged by dry air and hot showers (see tip No. 4 for more on this).
Source: Herbivore Botanicals
4. Ditch the hot showers
As tempting as it can be to come in from the cold and hop in a piping hot shower or bath, it can lead to dry, flaking skin — especially if your skin is already on the dry side. Dermatologists advise taking lukewarm showers instead (at about 98 degrees).
5. Keep up with your SPF
When the temperature is below 0 with a wind chill of -40 (if you don’t live in Chicago you might not be able to relate — lucky you), one of the last things on your mind is putting on SPF before you head out the door in the morning. But, the sun can still do damage — no matter how cold it is outside — which can add to dryness. Make sure you’re still putting on protection during all 12 months of the year, no matter how unnecessary it might feel.
6. Incorporate Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is one of the primary ingredients in hydrating skincare. It plumps up the skin, binds to water to help retain moisture, and can reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Adding hyaluronic acid-rich products to your routine can help give you the glow winter is depriving you of.
Source: Summer Fridays
7. Water, water, water
It feels like everyone’s been on the gallon-a-day water kick for years now, but remembering to drink your water is especially important when you have dry, winter skin, as it can help you hydrate from the inside out. Check out this chart to see how much water you should be drinking, and try to keep up with it daily — your skin will thank you.