5 ways to prepare your skin for winter

Fall and winter months can wreak havoc on your skin! It can become dry, maybe you start getting cracked lips and possibly experience more acne? The changing of seasons also means changes to your skin’s health. The moisture level in the air around you changes with the seasons. This change has a direct impact on your skin’s health and may require you to make a few minor adjustments to your regular skincare routine.

Here are 5 ways to prepare your skin for winter:

Add a humidifier to your home

The loss of moisture in the air can lead to dehydrated skin and inflammation especially in those with underlying skin conditions or sensitive skin types. Individuals with eczema and rosacea are most likely to experience flare-ups in fall and winter. To help protect your skin against this, create your own humidity by using a humidifier. Humidifiers add more moisture to our homes, giving our skin relief from the dry climate and increasing its hydration.

Adjust your type of moisturizer

To provide extra moisture and prevent moisture loss, a heavier moisturizer is required. For the majority of your body, it is important to use a heavier moisturizer both morning and night, head to toe – except your face.  The face tends to be more sensitive than the rest of your body. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, it is best to continue using a moisturizer that is lightweight and water-based. Look for a non-comedogenic facial moisturizer that won’t clog pores while locking in moisture.

Drink your water

While a moisturizer helps hydrate the skin on the outside, it is also important to hydrate from the inside. A fall-proof diet includes moisture-rich foods including leafy greens, fruit, and low-sodium soups. Challenge yourself to up your water intake as well. Without adequate water intake, your skin will appear dull while also making wrinkles and pores more prominent.

Exfoliate Less

Exfoliating the face and body is an important year-round step to take for healthy skin. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and revitalizes our pores, but it is important to avoid over-exfoliating in fall and winter. Over-exfoliation can irritate and over-stimulate the already sensitive skin. Instead, between exfoliation shorten your showers and cool the water down a few degrees to keep skin feeling fresh and healthy.

Keep Lip Balm on Hand

It is common to experience dry, chapped lips as the colder months roll in. Just as you need to apply a full-body moisturizer you also need to remember to care for your lips as well. An SPF lip balm applied every morning, and as needed throughout the day, will help keep your lips moisturized and healthy all winter long.

 Skin Struggles?

If you are struggling with skin issues and don’t know where to turn, the skin health experts at Blue Valley Dermatology are ready to help.