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As the cold weather approaches, your winter skin care routine is more important than ever – but sometimes it just isn’t helping your skin. Here’s why.
Virtually everyone experiences some level of skin care woes every single winter. The blustery, windy weather, combined with cooler temperatures, can strip away moisture, cause inflammation, and even exacerbate some of the most common conditions.
During the winter, these temperatures can cause dryness, itchiness, cracking, and chapping.
Your Winter Skin Care Routine Matters
While it may be impossible to avoid all of these issues entirely, how you care for your skin can make a big difference. Your daily routine is where it all starts; it’s also where most people make the most mistakes.
Avoid these mistakes to set yourself up for clear sailing and clear skin.
1. You’re Using the Wrong Moisturizer
Regular daily lotions and creams might not be enough for the dry, flaky winter skin some people experience in cooler temperatures. If it seems like you’ve been slathering it on to no avail, it may be time to step things up a notch.
The thicker and creamier the moisturizer is, the greater the moisturizing effect. For example, a night cream containing jojoba or argan oil will moisturize much more deeply than a light gel or water-based lotion. Remember this as you shop for new formulas, or ask your pharmacist for advice if you aren’t sure.
Try switching out your usual formula for one of these and see if it makes a difference, but keep a close eye on how your skin reacts to this part of your winter skin care routine. It is just as possible to over-moisturize!
2. Your Moisturizer is Missing These Key Ingredients
Some products, like CeraVe Healing Ointment, are designed with emollients and ceramides that help heal cracked skin and create a barrier against environmental harms. These are especially useful if you have conditions like:
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Rosacea
- Deep cracks with areas that bleed
Others, like Skinfix Eczema Extra Strength Body Cream, contain ingredients like Vitamin E, shea butter and triple oat complex. This not only soothes dryness, but also provides a hypoallergenic burst of support for constantly healing skin.
3. You Aren’t Moisturizing In the Shower
Yes – you read that right. Skin that’s warm and damp absorbs the moisturizing content in most formulas much more readily. If you slather it on immediately after you pat dry, but before you leave the bathroom (or maybe even the shower), you’re missing out on a lot of beneficial effects.
In-shower lotions like OGX Lavender Essential Oil Wet Skin Lotion are really helpful when it comes to your winter skin care routine. Just massage it in after your shower or bath is complete before you dry off, and the product will melt and absorb right in. You’re left feeling soft without any greasy films or excess product left behind.
4. You’re Still Washing With Old-School Soaps
Many of us grew up with our parents washing solely with old-school lye soap – the hard, flaky bars that often smelled of lemon. Others still use the same products they’ve been using for decades – some of which may not perform well at all.
The truth about those old products is that most were designed to clear away dirt, debris, and grease. They did that particularly well – a little too well, in fact, and that’s the problem.
Harsh soaps don’t discriminate against the natural oils your skin produces and any other form of grease. So, when you wash with them, the result is that you inadvertently wash the natural moisture barrier that locks hydration in away at the same time. The result is a tight, itchy, dry feeling that might not go away.
Next time you’re at the pharmacy, take a look at the cleansers or ask your pharmacist to recommend a gentler option. It’s possible to get every bit as clean while maintaining moisture, too, if you have the right one – no skin sacrifices involved.
5. You Aren’t Addressing Inflammation Correctly
You may not be aware, but dry skin doesn’t necessarily always become red, itchy, or swollen. Instead, that redness and inflammation is actually an immune response to the irritation associated with skin that isn’t properly moisturized. And sometimes, just slapping on a layer of lotion isn’t enough to address inflammation, especially if you have a skin condition like eczema or psoriasis, too.
Step number one is to speak with your doctor or pharmacist if your skin shows any signs of:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Itching
- Pain
It’s important to make sure the cause really is dry skin and not another condition, like fungal or bacterial infections.
If another diagnosis or treatment isn’t suggested, your care team might recommend using cortisone cream for a short period of time. Usually 0.5% is sufficient, but you can step it up to 1% if you don’t respond. They work by suppressing that local immune response, which reduces inflammation in turn. The only catch is that, in most cases, they should only be used for a week or two without a doctor’s orders.
6. You Aren’t Trying Cosmeceuticals
Just as soaps have come a long way over the last 50 years, so, too, has skincare science. With the exception of a few extremely rare conditions, it’s more possible than ever to treat skin woes with medicated formulas that improve appearance and resolve symptoms, all at the same time.
How?
Cosmeceuticals – dual-purpose custom compounded cosmeceutical formulas that effortlessly blend beauty and health needs into one easy-to-use package. These are skin care solutions built from the ground up only after a special one-on-one consultation. They contain only the ingredients you need without any of the substances you don’t.
Because these products are custom compounded, they are more suitable for the individual rather than the average person. This makes them more effective and less likely to cause undesirable side effects, all at the same time.
Best of all?
Through compounding, it’s even possible to find solutions to multiple skin care woes at the same time. Psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea sufferers, for example, can have their topical medications combined right into the products they’re already using. This cuts down on the amount of time it takes to get through your routine.
Final Thoughts
Your winter skin care routine is important, and the more you understand about your particular skin, the more customized your routine can be.
Fight itchiness, dryness, cracks, inflammation and irritation – just by creating a personalized winter skin care routine! Not sure where to start? Contact us today!
