Keeping Your Skin Moisturized in the Colder Months: 8 Tips

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I just love the changing of leaves, the smells, halloween, and the anticipation of the holidays season. But like everything it has it’s downfalls. Besides being followed by my least favorite season (winter), it also marks the start of my annual struggle with dry skin. Michigan winters and late fall days are brutal for my skin. These 8 tips help me keep my skin moisturized, hydrated, clear and radiant in the cold months and will help make those cold months more bearable for your dry skin.

Fall and Winter Skin Care Tip #1

Hydrate Your Skin By Drinking Water

Just because the heat has begun to die down and the sun isn’t constantly beating down on us doesn’t mean we need to skimp on water. Water is still essential in the colder months but for different reasons. Water not only helps your immune system fight off all the nasty viruses that seem to go around in the colder months but also is vital for your skin in the winter. During the cold months, we often turn to heaters, fireplaces, and hot baths to heat up. Also, the air becomes drier from furnaces during the cooler months. This makes drinking water essential to replenish our skin. Get a great water bottle and drink it and fill it up throughout the day. Some other options to get your water intake would be hot or iced tea with low caffeine amounts, broth-based soups, or fruit.

Fall and Winter Skin Care Tip #2

Eat Healthy Fats

Your diet is an important type of skincare routine. After all your skin is your body’s largest organ. Healthy Fats are essential for your skin’s health particularly Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are essentially the building blocks of your skin’s membranes and are vital to keeping your skin moisturized and healthy while Omega-3 fatty acids are important for radiance and softness. You can get Omega-6 fatty acids by eating leafy greens, avocados, grains, seeds, nuts, and vegetable oils. To get Omega-3 fatty acids you will want to eat oily fish, soybeans (or tofu), walnuts, and ground flax seeds.

Fall and Winter Skin-Care Tip #3

Hydrate Your Skin as You Sleep With a Humidifier

With the air being drier in the colder months our skin takes the brunt of that. Humidifiers put moisture back into the air to help replenish our skin. Humidifiers are also helpful when it comes to sickness and allergies. Just be sure to clean your humidifiers or empty them and allow them to completely dry. I use my humidifier. I have an industrial-size humidifier so I usually get a few nights of use and then dry it. I also scrub it with a cleaner and run white vinegar through it as needed.

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Fall and Winter Skin-Care Tip #4

Limit Long Showers and Baths

When the months get colder all I want to do is sit in the bathtub. Before I moved into my bathtub-less apartment I took a bath every night. Before I started being smart about it my skin would often be wrecked. Obviously sitting or being under hot water for a long amount of time isn’t going to benefit your skin. I’m not saying you can’t take a bath or shower every day, but limit the amount of time. Try to aim for 20 minutes most days. Getting a little space heater to turn on as you get out will make it easier.

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Fall and Winter Skin-Care Tip #5

Don’t Use Harsh Scrubs

Remember when everyone used apricot scrub back in middle school? Some things should be kept in the past. While you definitely should be exfoliating in the winter to get rid of dead skin cells, harsh scrubs are not good for your moisture barrier. In the winter switch from physical scrubs to chemical exfoliators like glycolic acid or lactic acid. Always follow up with moisturizer and SPF (if using in the am). Dry scrub with a brush once a week.

Fall and Winter Skin-Care Tip #6

Add a Rich Moisturizer to Your Cold Month Skin Care Routine

A good moisturizer is essential for getting through winter. But not all moisturizers are the same. When the weather gets colder you want to switch to a moisturizer that works to both replenish and lock in moisture in your skin. Look for moisturizers with Hyaluronic acid, Glycerin, Aloe, Shea Butter, Squalane, and Allantoin. These properties have been proven to lock in moisture and are also non-comedogenic so they won’t clog your pores.

Fall and Winter Skin-Care Tip #7

Use Overnight Treatments to Keep Skin Moisturized Overnight

Fall and Winter are the time that I start introducing overnight creams into my skincare routine. Night Creams and oils work to not only moisturize your skin but help speed up the reconstruction process of your skin that naturally happens while you sleep. Apply any overnight treatments after you wash, tone, or apply serums.

Fall and Winter Skin-Care Tip #8

Wear Breathable Clothing that allow your skin to wick away moisture.

While warm clothing feels good in the colder months, the clothing we typically seek out can also lead to blocked pores and irritated skin. Seek out clothing made from cotton, linen, cashmere, silk, and hemp. These fabrics will allow your skin to breathe. Fabrics to stay away from are rayon, acrylic, and nylon. Wool can also cause adverse reactions. If you are going to wear these fabrics, consider putting a layer of breathable fabric underneath like a cotton tank under an acrylic sweater.