Even if you normally get good results from your beauty routine, you may find it lacking during the winter months. While you still need to wash, moisturize and treat your skin, some products and practices may need to change to avoid skincare-related winter weather woes.

Colder temperatures and blustery winds don’t necessarily mean you’re stuck with drier, tighter skin, redness, itching and flaking. Below are some tips to help you beautifully face the months ahead.

Cleansing

While it’s always important to thoroughly cleanse your face at the end of the day, you don’t want to over strip your skin of its natural oils, especially this time of year when those oils form a protective barrier against dehydrating conditions. Harsh cleansers will leave skin dry and tight looking (and feeling,) and much more susceptible to redness, flaking and other irritation. If you typically use a gel or foaming cleanser, switch to a more nourishing oil-based or cream cleanser to rid your face of makeup and dirt before bed. Creamy cleansers are often gentler and more hydrating, so the skin looks and feels better.

Hydration

It’s vital that wintertime serums and moisturizers not only hydrate your skin, but contain ingredients for moisture retention to protect against water loss due to cold, wind, and heating appliances. Look for reparative emulsions with active ingredients like antioxidants, peptides and botanicals that both seal in serums and provide a protective barrier against environmental assault. Many have the added bonus of redness relief which is more common this time of year. Harsher weather often calls for a thicker, richer moisturizer to soothe and comfort dry, winter skin.

Exfoliation

Since winter skin is often more sensitive and irritated, you might be tempted to skip exfoliating during cold weather months, but don’t! A dry, flaky outer layer of skin not only affects your appearance, it keeps serums and moisturizers from being fully absorbed, meaning that while you may temporarily feel better after putting them on, there is no actual skin repair or protection happening. Regular home exfoliation, peel pads, as well as spa treatments like dermaplaning, microdermabrasion and chemical peels will get rid of dead skin cells as well as encourage new cell turnover. And contrary to what many think, wintertime is actually a great time for these treatments because you don’t have to worry as much about photosensitivity issues.

SPF

We should all know by now that SPF is not just for summertime, as UV radiation is a threat all year long. Skipping the SPF puts you at higher risk for sunburn, fine lines and wrinkles and dark spots that worsen with age. Many daily moisturizers and makeup formulations contain sunscreen for protection against not only the sun’s rays, but blue light rays from computer screens and other devices. Make sure any seasonal changes to your skin care routine still include SPF.

Beyond the Face

Environmentally compromised, over-stripped skin is not limited to the face. Weather-related moisture loss occurs all over body resulting in irritated, often itchy skin that can be very uncomfortable. In addition to general winter skin concerns, conditions like psoriasis, eczema and seborrheic dermatitis tend to worsen during the cold weather months as skin is more susceptible to flare ups. Gentle, creamy cleansers and oil-based exfoliation is good for the body as well as the face, as are deeply hydrating lotions and cortisone creams applied while skin is still moist from the shower. While soaking in epsom salts can be beneficial, prolonged exposure to extremely hot water is counterproductive to healing itchy skin, so aim for shorter showers or lukewarm soaks in the tub.

Pay attention to the cues your skin is giving you this winter. If your face and body still feel dry, tight and irritated even after applying your products, they may not be serving their purpose, or you may need some interventional skincare assistance to get you through the colder months. At Kalologie Med Spa Austin, we are happy to assess your skin condition and skin care routine as you head into the colder months to help you always look and feel your best no matter what time of year it is.