Anyone who’s lived in a cold climate knows the havoc winter can wreak on your skin. If you want to protect your skin from the dry, flaky irritation that winter brings, follow our tips:
1. Turn Down the Heat
Hot water dehydrates the skin, so skip the long, hot showers and baths and opt for bathing in lukewarm water instead. If you absolutely need a hot shower, allow the steam to fill your bathroom and moisturize immediately afterward. This will help prevent skin irritation.
2. Turn Up the Humidity
Cold air can’t hold moisture as well as warm air, which is why winter air is so dry. Besides letting your bathroom get steamy, you can add more moisture to the air by keeping a humidifier in your home. Leave the humidifier running overnight to replicate the tropical air of Brazil and stop chapped skin before it starts!
3. Be Gentle
Put away your fragranced summer face washes and swap in gentler, non-fragranced cleansers. In general, start using skin care products that have gentle ingredients ideal for sensitive skin. Exfoliate infrequently—at most once a week—and finish with a moisturizer. If you struggle with acne or oily skin, rinse these areas with water and temporarily put aside the drying products.
4. Level Up Your Moisturizer
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! In case it wasn’t clear yet, keeping your skin hydrated is the most important factor when caring for your skin in the winter. You should transition to a thick cream moisturizer (rather than a lotion, which tend to be thinner and less hydrating), and use it at least once a day. The best way to moisturize? Do it right before bed! An overnight face mask like the Açai Triple Stem Cell Mask will create a barrier that locks in key hydrating ingredients. You won’t have to worry about it wearing away throughout the day, and your skin will be hydrated and ready to face the cold first thing in the morning!
Most importantly, when you find a hydrating and healing skin care routine, be sure to keep up with it daily for smooth, healthy, and young skin all year long!
